One of the BEST things about visiting Disney World is the chance to meet and greet Disney characters! They’re so fun. So amazing. So cute. So friendly. So classy. And so photogenic. If you have children or grandchildren of any age, you’ll definitely want to meet and greet as many Disney characters as you can. If you don’t have children or grandchildren? Well, you’ll still want to meet and greet as many Disney characters as you can. Perhaps someday I’ll grow out of my love for characters. But for now, keep ’em coming!

We’ve been on seven Disney vacations in our 17 1/2 years of marriage, so we’ve become fairly knowledgable about the art and science of meeting and greeting Disney characters. Today, I’d like to share some tips for meeting characters at Disney World!

Tip #1: Go to parades!

Parades are the best and most obvious place to see the biggest variety of Disney characters in a short period of time. Want to get a hearty dose of characters? Go to as many parades as you can during your Disney vacation. The cool thing about parades is that Disney pulls out a big mix of characters, old and new. Sure, you’ll see Elsa and Anna in any modern-day Disney parade, but you also might see Jiminy Cricket. If you have good luck and are loud and attention-getting with your voice like my daughter, you might also get the opportunity to GREET characters during parades. Many characters ride on floats. A bunch walk through the parade route performing, shaking hands and giving high fives. Get yourself a great seat for the parade; you’ll see a ton of characters all in one spot, and you might even get to shake hands with a few!

Tip #2: Go to dance party parades!

These parades are shorter and a little different than full-length Disney parades. Typically, these dance party parades operate within a shorter route. The floats and characters come through a high traffic area (e.g., Main Street in Magic Kingdom), then stop and put on a little show, which usually includes some sort of interactive dance party with Disney guests. These dance party parades are a GREAT opportunity for seeing AND spending time with Disney characters. During the dance parties, many characters will be ON the streets dancing and engaging with guests. Great opportunity for kids of all ages. Fun for adults. Great opportunity for photos as well!

Tip #3: Find official character meet and greet spots.

Throughout the Parks at Disney World, there are official “meet and greet” spots where you stand in a line and have an opportunity to meet Disney characters one-on-one. You should expect a line, but usually the lines aren’t too crazy long. You can expect a wait time of anywhere from 10-25 minutes, which isn’t bad to meet a character. Be prepared with your autograph book and camera! Meet and greets are fairly brief, but still substantial. You’ll know when you need to pass by. And you’ll have a good sense of when it’d be a good time to stop and wait in line. Some character sightings are more rare. In those cases, you might want to stop and take advantage of the opportunity. For example, we saw Princess Mulan in China at Epcot during our last visit. In seven trips, this was the FIRST time we’d seen Mulan (other than a parade or night show), so we waited in the 20-25 minute line to see her.

Tip #4: Use My Disney Experience app to find characters!

The My Disney Experience app has revolutionized guests’ opportunities to meet and greet Disney characters. Install the My Disney Experience app, and it’ll tell you ALL the characters that will be at the Disney Park of your choice for the day, where they’ll be, and what time frame. For example, on our way to Epcot on our last Disney World vacation, my son and I looked at the app and found out that Mary Poppins was going to be in the United Kingdom Promenade, so we planned our route around the park accordingly so we could be in line to meet her when she arrived for meet and greets at 11:00 a.m. This app works slick! It’s quite amazing. Sure, it creates a lot more lines in advance of characters’ arrivals, but it also gives you a better opportunity to see the characters you WANT to see vs. having it be happenstance. Highly recommend the app for meeting characters.

Tip #5: Meet characters as they’re roaming the streets, or catch them as they’re traveling to or leaving their official meet and greet locations.

Rarely will you find Disney characters just randomly roaming the streets. But occasionally, it still happens! For example, in Hollywood Studios, green army men will often be hanging out on the streets back by the “Toy Story Mania” ride. This is a GREAT opportunity to meet the green army guys, and engage with them as well. They do lots of fun army movements with the kids. Kids love it! Also, we’ve had some great run-ins with characters as they’re traveling to or leaving their official meet and greet locations. This doesn’t happen often, but keep your eye out for sure as it’s a rare treasure of an opportunity! One time, we met the Fairy Godmother right behind Cinderella’s Castle as she was coming out for meet and greets. Nobody else noticed Fairy Godmother was there, so we got some great time and photos with her. It was awesome. I saw two girls walking hand-in-hand along a sidewalk with Princess Tiana on our most recent trip; she was clearly moving with some pace from one location to another. What a special experience for those girls!

Tip #6: Use Fast Passes for Character Meet & Greets.

I highly recommend using your Fast Passes for character meet and greets! This is an amazing opportunity. In all cases, a Fast Pass for character meet and greets will get you in faster. (Obvious, right?!) In some cases, a Fast Pass for character meet and greets is the ONLY way you’ll ever be able to meet that character face to face. For example, on our recent trip to Disney World, we had three Fast Passes to meet Disney characters. My daughter and I had one to meet Mickey, Goofy & Minnie at Epcot. My daughters and I had one to meet Mickey & Minnie at Animal Kingdom. And our whole family had Fast Passes to meet Elsa and Anna at Magic Kingdom. We were able to reserve all of those Fast Passes two months in advance of our vacation because we were staying on Disney property. But even two months in advance, the Fast Passes to meet Elsa & Anna were already in short supply. So we grabbed them up fast while we could! In short, ANY time you have the opportunity to use Fast Passes to meet Disney characters, definitely do it!

Tip #7: Attend shows at Cinderella’s Castle in Magic Kingdom.

Morning and afternoon shows on the front stage of Cinderella’s Castle are always FANTASTIC for character sightings! They bring out a whole host of characters for a live, 15-20 minute performance. The show is great and fun for all ages. Highly recommend catching one of these if you want to see characters in action.

Tip #8: Go to stage shows and special attractions with characters.

There are a few unique opportunities at Disney World where you’re able to see and/or meet characters in a more intimate setting for a longer period of time. For example, I got Fast Passes to go to Enchanted Tales with Belle with my three-year-old daughter at Magic Kingdom. It was quite the hidden treasure of a Fast Pass. Highly recommended. The kids were actively engaged in a story with Belle, then they EACH had an opportunity to meet Belle and get a photograph. It was darling and got me teary eyed. At Hollywood Studios, there’s a live stage show called “Beauty and the Beast: Live on Stage.” It’s one of my FAVORITE attractions of all Walt Disney World. Belle appears, of course, along with the Beast and a bunch of other characters from the movie. It’s great. Lovely. High quality. Enjoyable for the whole family. And a great opportunity to see characters in action for a good 20-25 minutes.

Tip #9: Definitely do character dining!

Character dining is a must do. We LOVE character dining in our family. So much so that we try to reserve as many character dining opportunities as possible as part of our Disney dining plan. Character dining experiences are typically associated with a sit-down buffet meal, or a sit-down full-service meal. Buffets are just as good as meals you’d order from the menu. (Believe me, the beef stew at Hollywood & Vine buffet was AMAZING!!! Two servings, baby!) After you get your food, a set of Disney characters come around to visit your table one at a time. You meet them, get their autograph and photograph, and engage with them a bit. It’s awesome, and hands down the best way to meet and greet characters at Disney World! If you have a Disney dining plan and children, I HIGHLY recommend character dining. Character dining is one of several reasons we purchase the Disney dining plan. So worth it. You can definitely do character dining without a Disney dining plan, it’s just a little pricey (as in $35-40/adult for buffet). I must say, though, on our most recent vacation, I saw plenty of people coming to make reservations at character dining locations that DIDN’T have a Disney dining plan. Character dining is so good, so worth it, that people are willing to pay for the unique experience.

Well, that’s it friends! That’s a wrap for today’s 31 Days of Disney post. After today, there are only FIVE days left in the series! I’ve left big posts for this week knowing it’s the end. Be sure to catch tomorrow’s post, Top 10 Rides and Attractions at Disney World.

 

 

 

This post is part of a month-long series titled 31 Days of Disney! If you’d like to read more posts from the series, click here and you’ll be directed back to the 31 Days of Disney landing page. ALL posts from the series are linked within the body of that post. Find a title or topic that intrigues you, click on it, and the post will pop up for your Disney reading adventure!

I also placed the series graphic on the right sidebar of my blog’s home page, so click it anytime and it’ll bring you back to the 31 Days of Disney landing page where all 31 posts are listed and linked.

You can follow me on Twitter at twitter.com/AmyBPederson where I’ll tweet links to all 31 posts using hashtag #write31days. I’d also LOVE to connect on Facebook at facebook.com/AmyBPederson and on Instagram at instagram.com/AmyBPederson. 

So glad you stopped by! Make yourself comfortable. Take a peek around the place, and know you’re welcome back anytime.

When you’re on a Disney vacation, magical moments are bound to happen. You can’t force magical moments. You can’t achieve magical moments. You can’t make them happen. You can’t push your way or pay your way into magical moments. You can’t even predict when they’ll happen. But one thing’s for sure…Disney LOVES to create magic for its guests. One way, one day or another, you will experience the magic. Big ways and small ways, the magic will strike at just the right time, at just the right place, with just the right people. The only thing you need to do to experience the magic is to be fully present and engaged in your Disney vacation.

I could end this post with those simple words of wisdom. But I do have a small selection of secrets that will help you make magical moments on your Disney vacation. Here they are, friends.

Secret #1: Be as fully present as you can, wherever you are.

There’s nothing special about this secret. Be present right where you are. Forget the rushing. Forget the cramming it all in. Stop trying to make it all happen. Just be present. Wherever you are.

Secret #2: Stop and relax for a moment.

Sometimes, you’ll only find the magic you need if you stop, listen and take a look around. Perhaps it’s a slower-paced magical moment you need. Sit on a bench and listen to music. Perhaps you’re overstimulated and you really need to tuck yourself away in a corner of one of the Disney Parks. Watch people. Chat with Disney cast members. Meander through the Park with no agenda in mind. Magical moments happen when you’re actively engaged with your Disney surroundings, but they also happen when you’re quiet and fully in tune with your Disney surroundings.

Secret #3: Breathe. Be an observer.

On our most recent vacation to Disney World, I found myself breathing deeply much more often than normal. It’s almost like my body needed to reset to the new normal of our Disney daily routines. Let’s face it, our regular, everyday lives are much different than our days at Disney Parks. I honestly think some of us just need to breathe before anything else. Before any magical moments can happen, we need to posture our hearts, minds and souls properly so we’ll be ready to receive the magic when it happens.

Secret #4: Stay in the moment.

What I’ve discovered about making magical moments at Disney Parks, is that sometimes I just need to STAY right where I am. Had I not stopped and STAYED when I realized an engagement was going to happen in front of my eyes at Epcot, I would have never witnessed that magical moment. I wondered about all the people that passed by, all the people who stopped to check it out for a moment, but never STAYED still long enough to watch the magic unfold. They missed out. Big time. So stop and relax, for sure. But make sure you STAY for a while, too.

Secret #5: Get yourself in the middle of something and get fully engaged. 

This includes, but is not limited to parades, stage shows, character meet and greets, interactions with Disney cast members, interactions with servers at Disney restaurants, and engagement with Disney photographers. Don’t shy away from anything. Get in there, friends. Get right in there. If something captures your attention and draws you in even just a little bit, get in there. Get in the middle of it. Get in the thick of it. Who knows where magic might be waiting?!

Secret #6: Be willing to meet someone new.

Sometimes, in order to experience magical moments, you have to put yourself out there a little, more than you usually would. Had I not invited a mama and her baby to sit next to me on the shuttle one day from our Disney Resort to Magic Kingdom, I would’ve never experienced that magical moment. Later that same day, had I not taken a chance and reached out to Disney cast member, Christlove, at Be Our Guest check-in desk, we never would have enjoyed our magical sit-down dinner as a family of five.

The secrets to making magical moments on your Disney vacation are incredibly simple and incredibly interconnected.

Be present.

Stop.

Relax.

Breathe.

Observe.

Stay in the moment.

Get engaged.

Meet someone new.

That’s all, friends. If and when you go on a Disney vacation, I want all the love, all the magic for you. Do your part by following these six secrets to prepare yourself. And I promise, Disney will make its magic!

 

 

 

This post is part of a month-long series titled 31 Days of Disney! If you’d like to read more posts from the series, click here and you’ll be directed back to the 31 Days of Disney landing page. ALL posts from the series are linked within the body of that post. Find a title or topic that intrigues you, click on it, and the post will pop up for your Disney reading adventure!

I also placed the series graphic on the right sidebar of my blog’s home page, so click it anytime and it’ll bring you back to the 31 Days of Disney landing page where all 31 posts are listed and linked.

You can follow me on Twitter at twitter.com/AmyBPederson where I’ll tweet links to all 31 posts using hashtag #write31days. I’d also LOVE to connect on Facebook at facebook.com/AmyBPederson and on Instagram at instagram.com/AmyBPederson. 

So glad you stopped by! Make yourself comfortable. Take a peek around the place, and know you’re welcome back anytime.

 

We’re nearing the end of my month-long series, 31 Days of Disney. It’s been a whirlwind of a magical month! With eight days left of the series, I feel myself winding down. As much as I ADORE all things Disney, I need a rest from all the Disney tips, tricks and favorites I’ve been sharing. So I thought today would be a perfect day to share this post, Best Places to Rest at Disney World!

Let’s get right to it. Because when you need a break, you need a break. Disney World is no exception.

On our most recent vacation to Disney World, I took notes as we went about our day. I noted the best places to rest around Disney Parks. Places that are accessible and realistic to sit down and take a break when you’re in need of a little rest and rejuvenation.

By the time we get to the end of this post, I’ll have shared best resting spots in Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Epcot and Hollywood Studios. Get your Mickey gear on and head on over. It’s time to rest, friends. It’s time to rest.

MAGIC KINGDOM: Frontier Trading Post’s Porch in Frontierland

This is a LOVELY place to rest, one of my favorites of all Disney World. In front of the Frontier Trading Store in Frontierland, there’s a wrap-around porch with rocking chairs. Friends, this is so good. THE most relaxing place in all of Magic Kingdom for sure. Rock your afternoon away by yourself, with a tired toddler, with your dear teenage daughter who just needs a little rest, or with your elderly father who’s out of breath. It’s a marvelous resting spot. And did I mention they play the most relaxing instrumental music EVER?! LOVE this place. A must see. A must do when it comes to rest.

MAGIC KINGDOM: In front of Crystal Palace and Casey’s Corner Famous Hot Dogs just off Main Street. 

This resting place is a little tricky to describe. Go to Main Street. Find Casey’s Corner Famous Hot Dogs (obviously, on the corner). Then find Crystal Palace. Stand outside between those two restaurants, and look back towards Cinderella’s Castle. There, you’ll find several benches and wide-open walking paths and spaces where you can REST, friends! This is another LOVELY rest area. GREAT photo opportunities, and not too bad as far as traffic passing by. Head right there, friends. I think you’ll be pleased.

MAGIC KINGDOM: Benches on walkway between Sleepy Hollow and Cinderella’s Castle

In Liberty Square, there’s a quaint little quick-service restaurant called Sleepy Hollow that serves yummy waffles and such. If you make your way behind Sleepy Hollow, there’s a walkway that takes you back behind the castle. Along the way to the castle, there are a handful of little inlets with benches to sit and rest. We passed this rest spot around 3:00 p.m., and lighting options were great. Some full sun benches, as well as some full shade benches. Great, quaint and hidden little resting spot. There is light traffic passing through, but not much. Great for a few photos as well.

MAGIC KINGDOM: Benches at Entrance to Liberty Square

There are some cute little benches as you pass through the entrance to Liberty Square. It’s easy to miss this resting spot, but don’t! It would be a lovely place to stop and take a breather on a hot day. Plus, it’d be a great spot to people watch as they pass by. Check it out!

ANIMAL KINGDOM: Benches at Research Centre in Pangani Forest

Next to Kilimanjaro Safari in Animal Kingdom, you’ll find Pangani Forest, a place you can walk through and see various birds, gorillas, fish and other cool creatures. The entire trail is restful in itself. It’s nice and shaded, and people tend to have a relaxed demeanor in there. So if you need some peace, quiet and shade, definitely go through the Pangani Forest. It’s a perfect stop after your safari. About half way through the trail, you’ll run into the Research Centre. Before you enter the building, you’ll see a porch with several benches. This is a GREAT place to stop and rest. It’s quiet. It’s shaded. And I’m pretty sure nobody even notices when you’re in there. Voila! Perfect resting spot, friends.

ANIMAL KINGDOM: Line/path going into “It’s a Bug’s Life” attraction.

If you get in line for “It’s a Bug’s Life” attraction, which is close to The Tree of Life, you’ll go through a very LONG walkway. I’ve visited this attraction many times in the past, but didn’t realize what a GREAT resting place it is until our most recent vacation! Did I mention that the path to get into the main waiting area for the attraction is LONG? It’s also fairly scenic. So scenic in one area that it’s PERFECT for pictures of The Tree of Life. And such an easy place to stop and take a rest. You could stand, lean against railings, or even sit on the ground and I’m sure you wouldn’t bother a soul! Try it! There aren’t benches or anything, but it’s still quite relaxing. At the very least, this is a great place to take it slow.

EPCOT: Benches just outside the China Pavilion

If you’re walking through the World Showcase in Epcot, you’ll eventually walk through China. You can’t miss the China Pavilion. It’s beautiful. If you walk deeper in, you’ll find what I believe is called the House of Good Fortune. It’s a gift store that looks like a large Chinese house. Outside of that, you’ll find a good handful of benches you can rest on for as long as you’d like. The area is quiet, secluded and beautiful. On our most recent visit to Epcot, our family stopped here to regroup for quite a while.

EPCOT: Promenade and gardens in United Kingdom

When you’re walking through the World Showcase in Epcot, you can’t miss United Kingdom. It’s one of my favorites, filled with beautiful stores, buildings, gardens and landscapes. You can’t miss it. Behind the stores, you’ll find beautiful gardens, benches and a promenade at which you can rest. It’s a lovely, delightful, and very quiet area. We found Marry Poppins greeting guests there, but otherwise it was completely hidden from sight. Another great place to rest and enjoy the quiet sights of Disney.

HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS: Streets of America

The Streets of America are Hollywood Studio’s place to REST! If you’ve had a long day, if you’re fatigued, if you have a crying baby or a crabby child, if your feet are tired, and if you just want to sit and people watch for a while, find the Streets of America. They’re scenic, easy to walk, and quiet. They’re near the back of the park. Look on the map and find your way there. Once you arrive, you must walk through. Just because. And you’ll have to take a seat on one of the benches lining the streets. Because there are SO many and its SO tempting to rest. Why not?

That’s it for today, my friends! If you’re heading to Disney World for vacation, remember to tuck these places in the back of your mind. They’re my favorite places to rest. And now? I’m heading to bed myself. For a little late night rest. Good night, friends. Happy resting.

 

 

 

This post is part of a month-long series titled 31 Days of Disney! If you’d like to read more posts from the series, click here and you’ll be directed back to the 31 Days of Disney landing page. ALL posts from the series are linked within the body of that post. Find a title or topic that intrigues you, click on it, and the post will pop up for your Disney reading adventure!

I also placed the series graphic on the right sidebar of my blog’s home page, so click it anytime and it’ll bring you back to the 31 Days of Disney landing page where all 31 posts are listed and linked.

You can follow me on Twitter at twitter.com/AmyBPederson where I’ll tweet links to all 31 posts using hashtag #write31days. I’d LOVE to connect on Facebook at facebook.com/AmyBPederson, and on Instagram at instagram.com/AmyBPederson. 

So glad you stopped by! Make yourself comfortable. Take a peek around the place, and know you’re welcome back anytime.

 

I love taking photographs. Photographing our Disney vacations is no exception. With all the Disney characters and beautiful sights to see at Disney Parks & Resorts, Disney vacations are a goldmine for amateur and professional photographers alike! Rest assured – whether you’re using an iPhone, a $100 camera, $500 camera, or a $2,000 camera – you WILL get great photos when you’re on a Disney vacation. Those photos will provide memories for a lifetime and are SO worth taking. Today, I’d like to share a few tips that will take your photography to the next level. So sit back, relax and enjoy. This is an easy read post. Nothing big, nothing earth shattering here. Just a few helpful hints to consider when photographing your Disney vacation!

Tip #1: Take photos of magical moments.

There’s definitely an art to capturing magical moments through photography. In order to experience or witness those magical moments, you need to be fully open, fully present, fully in the moment, fully aware of what’s going on around you. With that in mind, don’t be obsessed about taking photographs of every single moment all day long. You might miss magical moments. You might miss your vacation! However, when you DO see or experience magical moments, enjoy them in real time as they unfold, then capture the magic with a photograph or two to mark the memory.

When we visited Magic Kingdom on our most recent vacation to Disney World, I knew my youngest daughter would be seeing Cinderella’s castle for the first time. In order to prepare for the moment, I got my camera out after we entered the gates. When we turned the corner into Magic Kingdom where I knew she’d see the castle for the first time, I watched and waited expectantly for her reaction. I was fully present for that special magical moment, but I also took some time to snap a few photos of her smiling and pointing to the castle while in her daddy’s loving arms. It was a special moment. I’m incredibly thankful that I captured it with photographs. She’ll never have a first look at that castle again. Now, we can remember that magical moment for a lifetime.

Tip #2: Take photographs in obvious and not-so-obvious places around the Disney Parks.

You’ll definitely want to take photographs by Cinderella’s Castle at Magic Kingdom, Tower of Terror at Hollywood Studios, Spaceship Earth at Epcot, and The Tree of Life at Animal Kingdom. Take several photos by those classic, key landmarks. But may I suggest that there are other, less obvious places to photograph around Disney Parks? Photograph your teens waiting in line for a roller coaster, photograph your parents enjoying dessert together at a Disney sit-down restaurant, photograph your child asleep in his stroller with his Mickey ears on, photograph your tweens eating character waffles for breakfast, photograph your children watching parades. Big moments and little moments, they’re all worthy of capturing at Disney Parks. You never know what’ll turn out to be your favorite photograph from your Disney vacation. Shoot up a storm, friends! When it comes to photographs, it’s my philosophy that more is better. More photographs mean more photos to choose from when you get home. More photographs mean more memories of your Disney vacation. Big and small moments, obvious and less-obvious locations, all Disney moments are worth remembering.

Tip #3: Take advantage of the “Nikon Picture Spot” signs Disney has strategically placed around the Parks.

As you walk through Disney Parks, you’ll see small signs here and there labeled “Nikon Picture Spot.” These are spots that Disney has determined to be IDEAL spots for taking pictures. If you see one of these signs, there’s a good chance that if you take a photo there, it’s going to turn out great! So why not?! Stop. Take a photo. Take the leg work out of photographing your Disney vacation. Make it easy on yourself. Get your party to stand near or in front of that sign, and voila! You’ll have yourself a beautiful photograph and Disney memory!

Tip #4: Have Disney photographers take your picture! Use Disney’s PhotoPass or purchase a Memory Maker.

Disney has professional photographers located all over the parks at key locations. Their job is to take photographs of Disney guests, so take advantage of this great opportunity to get beautiful, high quality photos of your entire family. Disney photographers are pretty obvious. You can’t miss them. They’re usually in a Disney vest and hat of some sort, and have a big camera around their neck. They’re almost always taking photographs, and they almost always have some sort of line waiting to take advantage of their service. If you want them to take your photograph, just get in line and they’ll take it for you! You’ll receive a Disney PhotoPass card which you can use to find your photos online, or they’ll scan your Magic Band; all the photos you take around the parks will be connected to a unique account number so they can be stored and viewed in one place online. During or at the end of your Disney vacation, you can look through your photos and purchase them individually, or as a full collection. When you purchase the “Memory Maker,” you pay a set price and get access to ALL the photographs Disney photographers took of you during your vacation. If you purchase the Memory Maker in advance of your vacation, they give you a $30 discount. We purchased the Memory Maker on our recent Disney vacation because we knew we were going to use Disney photos for our Christmas card and wanted them to be nice. They scanned our Magic Band every time we took photos, and now we have access to all the photos in one place online. All we have to do is click “Download” and voila, the photo is on our desktop and we have full rights to use it as we please.

Tip #5: When you’re at the Disney Parks, wait to photograph key landmarks until you’re CLOSER to the landmark. 

When you’re at Disney Parks, you’ll notice people taking photographs at various locations in front of major landmarks. For example, when you walk down Main Street towards Cinderella’s Castle at Magic Kingdom, you’ll notice photographers taking pictures at numerous locations all the way down Main Street. It’s totally fine and good to take your photograph by the castle when you first enter Main Street, but the photo is likely to be BETTER if you wait and walk further down Main Street so you’re closer to the castle. This is just my humble opinion, and perhaps some photographers would disagree. I suppose it depends on which Park you’re at and which landmark you’re photographing. But generally speaking, wait to take your photograph until you’re closer to the landmark rather than further away. The landmark will be more prominent in the photograph, which will make the photograph and memory more impactful.

Tip #6: Have a variety of family members (and friends) help photograph your Disney vacation.

Because I love taking pictures and hold the camera most of the time, I tend to be the one who photographs 90% of our Disney vacations. However, I must admit that it is nice when my husband offers to take some pictures, not only of me, but of our children. It takes the photography burden off me for a bit, and allows me to be in the photos as well. May I suggest having your older children and teens take a few photographs, too? Their perspective is unique, and might get you some cool photos you might not have gotten otherwise. As long as you trust them with the camera, and teach them how to take a photo with it, you should be good to go for a few minutes at least! Having a variety of family members and friends take pictures is an easy and inexpensive way to diversify photographs from your Disney vacation!

That’s it, friends! Those are all the notes I took about photography during our most recent vacation to Disney World. I hope this post has provided a few extra hints that’ll help as you photograph your next Disney vacation. Whatever you do, make sure to capture the magical moments! Photographs mark the memories for a lifetime and beyond.

 

 

 

This post is part of a month-long series titled 31 Days of Disney! If you’d like to read more posts from the series, click here and you’ll be directed back to the 31 Days of Disney landing page. ALL posts from the series are linked within the body of that post. Find a title or topic that intrigues you, click on it, and the post will pop up for your Disney reading adventure!

I also placed the series graphic on the right sidebar of my blog’s home page, so click it anytime and it’ll bring you back to the 31 Days of Disney landing page where all 31 posts are listed and linked.

You can follow me on Twitter at twitter.com/AmyBPederson where I’ll tweet links to all 31 posts using hashtag #write31days. I’d LOVE to connect on Facebook at facebook.com/AmyBPederson and Instagram at instagram.com/AmyBPederson.

So glad you stopped by! Make yourself comfortable. Take a peek around the place, and know you’re welcome back anytime.

When I outlined the posts for my month-long series 31 Days of Disney, I included one post titled Tips for Doing Disney World with a Preschooler. That was BEFORE our family of five vacation to Disney World! Once we arrived on the ground, began our first Disney vacation with a three year old (and two older children, ages 10 & 12), and began taking notes, I realized there was no way I was going to fit ALL the tips in one post. There’s just SO much to say about taking a week-long Disney World vacation with a preschooler. So I decided to do a two-part preschool series. Yesterday’s post, Tips for Doing Disney World with a Preschooler. And today’s post, Tips for Feeding Your Preschooler at Disney World. If you’ve landed on this post and plan to take a Disney vacation with a preschooler, I highly recommend reading BOTH posts. My greatest hope for these posts is that they will help families plan and execute a Disney vacation that’s as smooth and successful as possible when traveling with preschoolers!

Let’s get to it! Today, I‘m sharing all the love, all the lessons learned about feeding your preschooler at Disney World.

Tip #1: Make sure your preschooler is fed.

Feeding your preschooler at Disney World sounds pretty easy, right? Self explanatory? The obvious piece of advice for any human being? Not necessarily. For us, keeping our preschooler fed was not as simple as it seemed. Preschoolers operate differently than older children, teens and adults. They need to eat more regularly. They haven’t learned to “get over” or “move past” their hunger a little while longer. When they need to eat or drink, they need to eat and drink. Period. We learned this the hard way. If you do not feed your preschooler on a regular schedule at Disney World, you will end up with a crabby child. If you keep your preschooler on a VERY regular eating schedule (pretty much just like home), you will end up with a content, satisfied, happy, much more well-behaved child. This basic need for REGULAR food and beverage is a fact that’s good to keep at the forefront of your mind from day one of your Disney World vacation.

Tip #2: If you have a Disney dining plan with 2 meals and 1 snack per person per day, plan on getting in a THIRD meal, even if it’s small.

We’ve purchased the Disney dining plan for our last four Disney vacations. Typically, we purchase the standard plan which comes with 1 quick service meal, 1 sit down meal, and 1 snack per person, per day. This meal plan worked perfectly for us in the past! For the third meal of the day, we just foraged and made do with breakfast bars in the hotel room, eating heavier at our first meal of the day, etc. But on our most recent vacation to Disney World with a preschooler, mealtimes became a little trickier. The standard 2 meals and 1 snack per day wasn’t enough sustenance for our preschooler. She was getting hungry and crabby without her daily 3 meals, 2 snacks and regular access to beverages. We made accommodations early on in the week by using the previous day’s unused snack vouchers to buy her a fruit platter and/or a pastry for breakfast. A few times, we purchased something small at the parks for her third meal. And often, we purchased extra beverages to help refresh her throughout the day.

Tip #3: If you have a Disney dining plan, try to schedule as many character dining experiences as you can.

We’ve always loved to do character dining with our children. It’s one of the MOST SIGNIFICANT perks of having the Disney dining plan for families. But on this vacation, we appreciated the character dining even more so because we had our three year old along! Not only was it amazing to get our preschooler fed and happy again, but the characters provided great engagement and fun. In an odd sort of way, the characters provide positive distraction during mealtime. While your preschooler eats, they can watch the characters mingle around the room and eagerly await that magical moment when the characters visit your table for a one-on-one visit. I dined with our preschooler at Hollywood & Vine for a sit-down lunch buffet with Disney Junior characters one day on our recent vacation. Sophia the First, Jake & The Neverland Pirates, Doc McStuffins, and Handy Manny were all there! The music was a little obnoxious and there was a fair amount of noise with all the characters and kids, but the food was EXCELLENT for both kids and adults and the kids clearly loved it. Highly recommend character dining for preschoolers (and older children as well).

Tip #4: It’s great to make sure your child is exposed to and eating a variety of food, but sometimes you just need to surrender to “kid food.”

One of the things I’ve been most proud of as a parent is that my two oldest children are NOT picky eaters at all. They’ll pretty much eat anything, anywhere. Sure, they have a few select things they don’t want to eat, but for the most part, they’ll eat everything without complaint. My youngest, on the other hand, is much more fickle and picky with her eating. She eats a variety of foods, but nothing’s a guarantee. And the amount of food she’ll eat at any given meal is really hard to predict. All of that to say, I understand both ends of the spectrum as far as having children who are picky eaters, and children who are NOT picky eaters at all. Even though my preschooler tends to be a pickier, more fickle eater, I continue to serve her a variety of foods just like I do my other two children. We don’t prepare special “kid food” for meals at home. They get what they get. They get the meal I’ve prepared for our family. This rule applies to our Disney World vacations as well. I’m not about to serve my children chicken nuggets, fries, corn dogs and mac ‘n cheese when they could have salmon, sauteed green beans, garlic mashed potatoes, and all the other delicious food options. But I must say, sometimes we just needed to allow our preschooler to have the “kid food.” On our most recent vacation to Disney World, there came a time when we just needed our preschooler to eat something, anything, everything she’d put her hands on. A full tummy meant a happy preschooler. And that meant a much better day for all of us! Lesson learned? Let them eat all the “kid food” they want when you’re at Disney World, as long as it’s well balanced. Maybe, like my preschooler, “kid food” means eating chicken nuggets, steamed broccoli, mac ‘n cheese and a huge serving of pineapple for lunch. Good, right?

Tip #5: If you’re making reservations for sit-down dinner and have any choice at all, try to make reservations for times you’d normally eat at home (or as close to normal as possible).

I have to admit, we had a few major meltdowns because our lunch or dinner reservations were simply too late. For example, lunch at 12:45 p.m. instead of 12:00, or dinner at 6:45 p.m. instead of 6:00. For preschoolers, eating an hour later than they normally do can cause major disruptions. You might run into a “hangry” (hungry + angry) preschooler! If your reservations are later than your normal mealtimes, just be sure to get your preschooler a hearty snack and beverage an hour or two before the reservation. A good general rule of thumb is to stick to normal mealtimes as much as you can. Your child will be a lot happier that way!

Tip #6: After snacks and quick service meals, make sure to take your child’s cup and straw, refill the cup with ice and a beverage of your choice, and bring it with you into the Disney Parks.

This is a key learning I didn’t really start implementing until the last two days of our most recent Disney World vacation. Time and time again, we’d finish a meal and a half hour later, our preschooler would be complaining that she was thirsty. I kept wishing that I’d brought her cup from lunch, filled it up with ice and beverage, and brought it out to the stroller so we didn’t have to PAY for another beverage (at $2.75 for a bottle of water). Finally, I became proactive about the situation and started refilling her cup right before we left the quick service restaurant. That way, she was fresh and ready to go with beverages for another hour or two. This tip is small, but pretty amazing and makes a big difference. We do this all the time at fast food restaurants at home. Why not do it at Disney World? It makes a HUGE difference in your child’s thirst and satisfaction, and saves on beverage costs.

Tip #7: Just get a popsicle.

Need I say more? If all else fails and your preschooler is continually hungry, thirsty, crabby and tired at Disney World, just get a popsicle. It will fix everything, at least for a while. Watch out for melting, though. You may need to help with a few licks or bites here and there. That Florida sun makes those popsicles melt fast!

That’s all, friends! If you have any questions about feeding your preschooler at Disney World, please feel free to ask. I’m happy to answer anything! Also, if you’re going to be traveling to Disney World and haven’t read my post Tips for Doing Disney World with a Preschooler, make sure to read that as well. Here’s to successful travels with preschoolers!

 

 

 

This post is part of a month-long series titled 31 Days of Disney! If you’d like to read more posts from the series, click here and you’ll be directed back to the 31 Days of Disney landing page. ALL posts from the series are linked within the body of that post. Find a title or topic that intrigues you, click on it, and the post will pop up for your Disney reading adventure!

I also placed the series graphic on the right sidebar of my blog’s home page, so click it anytime and it’ll bring you back to the 31 Days of Disney landing page where all 31 posts are listed and linked.

You can follow me on Twitter at twitter.com/AmyBPederson where I’ll tweet links to all 31 posts using hashtag #write31days. I’d LOVE to connect on Facebook at facebook.com/AmyBPederson and you can find me on Instagram at instagram.com/AmyBPederson.

So glad you stopped by! Make yourself comfortable. Take a peek around the place, and know you’re welcome back anytime.