From One Mom to Another: Tips on Disney, Races and Kids

 Sydnee is 6 in this photo. I have been traveling with my family to Disney for more than a decade. My first trip as a parent was in 2003 when my eldest daughter was 4 and my son was 2.  I took my mom, my best friend and my sister with us to Disneyland.   At the time I was on active duty stationed in Washington, DC and my mom and sister lived in Montana so I didn't see them that often.  We had an amazing time and the Disney trips soon became a tradition.  Many of my friends ask me when is the best time to take the trip and who should go. Is Nana too old for Disney?  Should we wait until the baby is older?  Are my teens going to be bored? The short answer is MAYBE but probably not.  In today's blog I will give you pros and cons on these and some other frequently asked questions. Lets start with some basic questions you should ask yourself.  Is this going to be a once in a lifetime trip?  What is the goal of this...

Walt Disney World offers an option to make ride reservations in advance, called Fast Pass+.  These Fast Passes+ (FP+) are available starting at 7am Florida time (Eastern time zone) 60 days in advance of your trip if you are staying on Disney property or 30 days in advance for everyone else.  Using a FP+ allows you to use a special line queue that has a wait of 15 minutes or less (most of the time).  Here is a quick step by step tutorial of how to make a FP+ reservation and a few ways you can maximize them. (Make sure you tickets are linked to your account.) Step 1:  Decide which park you want to go to each day as your primary park.  You get 3 FP+ to start and they all have to be at the same park.  (In this example we will use Magic Kingdom.) Step 2: Review dining reservations.  I write them down so I remember where and when.  Step 3: Log into the My Disney Experience App.  Here is the start screen (on iOS)....

Taking a break to reapply sunscreen and drink some water. My photographer was annoyed I wanted a photo and wasn't ready to get back in the lazy river so bad lighting.  Not healthy but my kid loves mac & chz My kids love a day at the waterpark.  They love big ones like Disney's Typhoon Lagoon or little ones like the in my hometown.  Waterparks can be stressful but they don't have to be.  Here are 5 easy tips to make your day a success.   My park bag, cheap and different 1.  Eat first.   Waterpark and all amusement park food is expensive.  Plus eating first allows you to start on a full stomach and you don't have to worry that your kids won't eat because they are 'too busy'.  2. Bring a unique park bag.   I use a reusable shopping bag this one is from a business in Colorado and I live in Montana so I was pretty sure no one else had one.  Pack light or pack a lock. I like to pack light and only carry...

 (Not us): Photo: Montana River Guides Montana has some of the best white water in the nation.  My son loves rafting and outdoors.  He decided to skip the last couple Disney trips so I have found other opportunities to spend time with him.  One of our favorite getaways is spending an afternoon on the river.  We have been rafting together for several years now and love the fact we can get some nice waves within an hour of home.  Hunter could guide us because last year he took the Swiftwater Rescue and Raft Guide Class and guides for a local summer camp, but we don't have a boat.  I haven't purchased one because we aren't sure what Hunter plans to do when he graduates next year so we just book a tour with our favorite local guides. Montana River Guides (MRG) is a local company owned by Mike Johnson, one of the nicest men you will ever meet.  He hires great guides and has a wonderful staff.  They will ensure you are safe and have a gr...

This is the first year I have purchased Annual Passes in the many years we have visited Walt Disney World.  When you decide if you want to purchase a standard pass or an annual pass ask yourself a couple questions: 1. Are you a Florida resident?   (there are significantly more options if this is the case, none of which I am going to cover here so go here to see what you qualify for https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/passes/ )   2.  How many days are you planning to visit in a one year period?   This is the most important question, annual passes when first purchased are valid from your activation date (first day in the parks) for one full year.   (Example, I purchased my annual pass in March but don't activate until my vacation on July 10; my pass is good from July 10, 2018-July 9, 2019.) 2018 Pricing for the current Annual Pass (Platinum/Plus) is $849/$949 for ages 3+.  The difference is that the Platinum Plus includes unlimited access to...

This is likely going to be a long blog because I want to review a bunch of different tours that we personally experienced this June during our visit to Disney World in Florida.  As a friendly reminder, I am in NO way affiliated with Disney and receive nothing to in return for my reviews.  Tour Dates June 10-15 Participants :  5 year old active girl, she's going into 1st grade and 44.5" tall Myself and my husband, My mother who was in a wheelchair most of the days because she can't walk over 6-7,000 steps per day without injuring herself. We scheduled 3 events that were kids only for Sydnee.   The first was The Pirate Adventure Cruise. Price: $39-49.00 Ages: 4-12 year old Time: 9:30-11:30am Photo: Nana Link: https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/events-tours/pirate-adventure-cruises/ Summary: Sydnee ranked this as her favorite tour.  We dropped her off before the tour and my mom hung out at the hotel while she was on ...