You would not believe how many people’s mouth’s have dropped–to the ground–when I share that we hired a sitter in Disney. So many people think of a vacation to Disney as a family-thing that they never consider getting out and relaxing. Please, take it from me, if you are going to spend so much on a vacation to Disney World, you deserve a little four hour break (or more) to celebrate your family, and to celebrate all the planning that went into your fabulous vacation.

So, before you go, plan a little something extra for yourself. The Huz and I just went over to Epcot for drinks, dinner and fireworks. It was calm. It was quiet. And it was, believe it or not, romantic (we ate in France at the window during Illuminations).

While working on my ADRs (Advanced Dinner Reservations) I asked about babysitting. Did the “cast” members work as babysitters during their off hours or would the hotels have a database? Even better, Disney, it turns out, is contracted with KidsNiteOut.com. So, long story short, I checked it out, inquired about their security and background checks and reserved a sitter.

Its not cheap, ya’ll. Understand that. Then again, this is Disney and you can’t expect anything to be cheap. But Nancy showed up exactly on time (maybe even a few minutes early) with a clipboard full of questions and a suitcase full of games. Awesome games. Fun toys. Exciting stuff for the kids to do and play. Nancy is a Grandmother and a former fulltime Nanny. She Nanny’s with KidsNiteOut as a career because she loves kids. What more could I ask, right? Besides the safety of my children.

And they were safe. Very safe. Nancy is on Disney property several days and nights a week. She knows the resort better than any visitor because this is her job. Its her life. She’s just one of many sitters through KidsNightOut.

Listen. Leaving your kids with a sitter is scary stuff. I get that. But its worth a call to learn about their babysitting program, right? See how you feel after you talk to their service and go with your gut. Believe me. My gut had a wonderful night out.

© 2010, Julie Meyers Pron. All rights reserved.

1. PassPorter’s Walt Disney World 2010: The Unique Travel Guide, Planner, Organizer, Journal, and Keepsake! This guide is more than enough information to help you plan and get through each day at Disney. It was my guide for booking, for determining the best place to eat for dinner each night, to learn about rides before going on them and every single detail in between. Its updated annually, so you know its up to date.
2. I’m not a big Vera Bradley person, but the Vera Bradley Tech Case held my life each and every moment at Disney. I bought it to hold my ipod and phone in my diaper bag day-to-day, so it ended up at Disney World with us. What I found was that it held my “key to the world”, aka room key/park ticket/meal plan card, my credit card, cash, ipod and phone and kept it all safe and attached to my body. And its light weight and small, so easy to carry with the wristlet strip. When about to get on a ride, I’d leave the diapers and stuff in the stroller, grab the tech bag and go. Never did I need anything bigger, and I felt safe because my big-ticket items were all in this tiny bag, and I knew where it was.
3. If you’re going to Disney World with a baby, please know that you’ll need more than a stroller. Having a carrier, be it a sling, Mei Tai, wrap, or whatever type you prefer, is a key to a successful visit. Wearing Little in a Baby K’tan wrap I was able to hold her securely on rides, feed her with ease and offer her a safe place to sleep.  I loved that there are so many different ways to wear your baby with the K’tan and they’re all so easy.  And if you’re breastfeeding, also consider a breastfeeding cover. More for your baby to not be so distracted when you’re feeding her and to block out the sun than for privacy. I most often fed my baby on rides and in shows, and even when doing it on a bench, no one ever batted an eye. Still, my Hooter Hider Nursing Cover went everywhere with me and came out for nearly every feed. (Bonus: it makes a great burp cloth or changing table cover when you forget one.)
4. Since receiving a DadGear Backpack Diaper Bag years ago for review on MWS, it’s always been our go-to family bag.  The Huz is comfortable wearing it and its easy to hang on the back of the stroller. Most important there are so many sections that its easy to pack everything into its own place, finding what you need when you need it. And its huge. Huge enough that it was more than enough for our family of 5.
5. Tour Guide Mike printout (especially for the Magic Kingdom.) I joined TGM on the recommendation of several friends. I’m sure its as much of a necessity to have during busy season as they all say, but I didn’t find it to be so necessary in January. It was great for planning the beginning elements (like knowing which park to attend each day.) And I found the suggestions and plans very useful in Magic Kingdom. Having been there, its now obvious that the Magic Kingdom is Tour Guide Mike’s fortay, not so much the other parks. For the other parks I read his notes prior to visiting each of them, but didn’t find them to be indipensible. And, please note, the Hollywood Studios notes are extremely outdated. Had I not researched further I would have missed quite a few highlights that are newer than when his suggestions were last written. (and for those who are heading to Hollywood Studios, my highlights will be up on Just Precious soon.) All that in mind, I still recommend joining, printing, and bringing Tour Guide Mike’s information with you. The Magic Kingdom information and the selection of where to go each day is valuable. And he is so very knowledgeable that the information he provides is indispensible. Search for a coupon code before you join.
6. Your Garden Grocer receipt. About 5 days before leaving for Florida, I placed an order with Garden Grocer. It was a basic grocery list, including milks, turkey, bread, cheese and cereal. I also ordered a large package of diapers and another of wipes, some medicine, laundry detergent, shampoo for the kids and baby food. And a case of water bottles. So, in sum, this order was awesome. I didn’t have to pack a big batch of diapers which would have taken up too much space in our luggage (remember: luggage costs these days) and since we didn’t have a rental car we didn’t have to worry about how we would get all the food and other items once we were in Disney. (Eating a meal a day in our room saved us several hundred dollars on this trip!) And the water bottles, oh! What a savings there. Considering the cost of the bottles at the parks was usually over $2, our bottles saved us bundles. Just make sure you save your receipt and bring it with you. Just like at home, mistakes happen when you use Garden Grocer and you want to be sure that you aren’t charged for items that don’t make it to your room. (It happened to us. They credited us for 2 items right away, no questions asked, once I placed the call.)

A few notes about Garden Grocer: 

•  
  • you’ll need to be sure to order at least 3 full days in advance of your arrival.
  • you don’t need to be present when your items arrive. Garden Grocer will deliver to your hotel and the hotel will refrigerate the items for you. Just call the bell service from your room and the food will be delivered.
  • there is a delivery fee (it was $12 in our case) and they request an [optional] tip.

Thanks to Baby K’tan for providing the sample for a future review. It will be reviewed on Mommies with Style in the next few weeks. This post contains affiliate links. We may make a few pennies if you click through and purchase something. So, thank you in advance.

© 2010, Julie Meyers Pron. All rights reserved.

Emergency Medical Care: It was one of those things that I forgot to find out ahead of time, but, luckily, all of the information was easily accessible through the front desk at our resort. So, the lowdown if you need medical help while you’re at Disney.

Urgent Care: Available off property near Downtown Disney. If you’re staying on property and need a ride, they offer a free shuttle. We called at about 8:05 (they open at 8 am) and the estimated wait time was 1 hour after your shuttle arrived to their offices. Shuttle time would vary depending on when you called for pick-up, and how many others called.

Emergency/911 Needs: 911 will send an ambulance to take you to the nearest hospital, or treat you at the property. According to Savannah at the front desk at the Boardwalk, Disney will cover your 911 fees.

On Property First Aid: Check the park map for location. At Magic Kingdom, its right off of Main Street before you get to the Adventureland bridge. The ladies were very kind and helpful, the facility clean (of course) and calm. (We needed Bandaids). Its attached to the baby care area which is amazingly equipped with everything you’ll need with baby. Again, very clean, with deluxe changing tables, rocking chairs, play table and high chairs. Plus a quiet room, wipes, dipes and about everything else you can think of for baby.

Afterhours needs: If its an emergency, the front desk has the ability to enter the shop in your hotel. We called down to request an OTC Medical item and they were able to open and charge to our room. It has to be a real emergency, though. And they have to carry the item in the store.

Pharmacy needs: Should you need pharmacy items while staying at Disney, there is a Pharmacy that delivers. You can fax your perscription to the them through your concierge and it will be delivered for just a $5 fee. All costs are charged to your room, and you don’t  need to be present for it to be delivered. Your order cannot be delivered to your room, you’ll need to pick up at Bell Services or the front desk once it arrives. You can also order OTC items that they don’t have in the gift or sundries shop.

I really, really hope none of my readers will ever need this information.

Have fun!

© 2010 – 2011, Julie Meyers Pron. All rights reserved.

Every book and website I read while preparing for Disney, and every e-mail sent to me as a HARO response, prepped us to take our kids to Disney World first thing in the morning. “Be there at least 15 minutes before they open” one said. Another warned that we should always leave early, avoiding parade and fireworks crowds.

Well, last week I was at Disney World. We arrived Monday, about an hour and a half late due to weather. So rather than checking in at 11:30 , we checked in at about 1.  I was tempted, based on all of the suggestions I had received, to just explore our resort in the afternoon and then hit Magic Kingdom bright and early the following morning.

I am SO glad that I didn’t listen to the hype. Instead, we unpacked, grabbed lunch (YUM!), changed into warm-weather clothes (note to anyone going in January/February: bring a jacket, pants and longsleeves. Layering is great, but its cold at night!!) and boarded a bus from our resort (Boardwalk Villas) to Magic Kingdom.

There were no lines. Again. There were no lines. Sure, its January, slow season, but we walked right onto Stitch’s Great Escape (which our kids will never, ever let us do again) and then Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin. Next, we waited to see Buzz Lightyear in person. We waited less than 5 minutes. And the Tomorrowland Indy Speedway’s wait was another 5 minute wait (though we used the parent-pass, see below, so that was a little longer.)

From Tomorrowland, we strolled to Mickey’s Toontown Fair. While the boys waited to ride Barnstormer at Goofy’s Wiseacre Farm, Little and I shopped the gift shop (poor thing, she was the only one without a hoodie sweatshirt or a hat. She just had to get a new Minnie Mouse sweatshirt.) Following the ride, we entered Mickey’s Country House which is connected to the Judge’s Tent, a character meet and greet spot. This line was a little longer, about 10 minutes and they don’t allow strollers. Because Little was sleeping, I waited outside the “tent”, so sad that I wouldn’t be there when my kids first saw Mickey. But by some amazing chance, Little woke when the boys were still waiting, they were next in line.

In the Judge’s tent, they you wait in one of those hidden, curvy lines that could get really long; they let about 5 “parties” at a time in to Mickey’s room. (in our case, Minnie was in there, too.) We were the first group of the 5 or so families, so instead of entering the room and watching other’s greet Mickey and Minnie first, the door opened and Middle ran right in to Mickey’s arms. It was straight out of a commercial, and it was the epitomy of the perfect beginning to our vacation. Middle didn’t just believe in the Magic, he was living this magic. That hug will forever be in my mind’s eye, and I treasure the fact that Little woke up in time for me to be witness it.

Following our character greet and pictures, we moved on to Fantasyland where we waited no more than 10 minutes for Snow White’s Scary Adventures, Peter Pan’s Flight, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh and Its a Small World. (After Pooh, the Huz commented privately to me that these are the rides that make him dislike Disney World. Which was interrupted by Middle shouting “that ride was SO cool!” “Ahem,” I cleared my throat. The Huz shrugged, smiled and admitted to being way wrong.  Its a Small World was considered “long and boring” but all but Little who was enthralled through the entire boat ride. )

It was about 7:40, so we asked a Cast Member who was on Stroller Parking duty (my goodness! They do a great job at that!) to suggest a spot to see the fireworks show, Wishes, which was loved by Big, hated by Middle and slept through by Little. For dinner we ordered counter service from Cosmic Ray’s and ate outside on the Tommorrowland Bridge as some of us enjoyed the show.

It was the beginning of a remarkable, magical vacation. And I’ll be sharing much, much more in the next few weeks. For now, a few Magic Kingdom, Florida, tips:

• Parent Pass: If any of your kids is too small to go on a ride, or just doesn’t want to, walk as a family up to the gate to enter the line and request a parent pass. One adult will go with anyone who wants to ride while another stays back with those who aren’t riding. Once the initial riders are finished, use your pass and switch adults, this time going through the FastPass line. Here’s the great thing: 3 people can use Parent-Pass with one pass. So my roller coaster crazy kids got to go on rides multiple times with minimal waits, even when the standard lines were long. You can use this pass at the same time as you are using a FastPass somewhere else.
• Looking for a good place to see Wishes? Consider the Tomorrow Land bridge, close to the Main Street shops so you can see Tinkerbell. Just consider the wind first. Monday night the wind was so strong that the fireworks were pushed behind the trees.
• Have a child afraid of fireworks? Try bringing your ipod with headphones. It won’t entirely drown out the noise, but it allows a little distraction that helps. (FWIW, by the last 7th night, Middle finally felt the love for fireworks. Soarin’ helped, too.)
• Staying on property? Note that there is no free wifi, thus my absense from blogging, tweeting, and facebooking last week. You can hook up through an ethernet cord for $9.95 a day in your room or get wifi for $4.95 in the lobby. Yeah, that was annoying.

Its all fresh in my mind and I have so much to share in the next few days. What Disney World questions can I answer for you?

© 2010, Julie Meyers Pron. All rights reserved.

In October, I realized that my boys didn’t know their princesses. And, so, for the past 2 and a half months I have schooled them. Trained them. At times practically sat on them to make sure they watched every single princess movie they didn’t know at Disney on Ice: 100 Years of Magic. And short of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (which, mind you, I did “borrow” from the library, but it was VHS and I couldn’t tame the tracking because the tape was in such bad shape) they were able to completely follow the Princess sequence last night at Disney on Ice: Let’s Celebrate.  So well, in fact, that Middle proclaimed the Princesses were his favorite part. (More specifically, when Mickey became Minnie’s prince was his “actual favorite part.”)

So, I’m feeling pretty proud that the boys are now prepped to charm with their Princess knowledge. But, of course, there’s always something, right? And tonight that something happened to be that it was my husband’s first ever Disney on Ice.  And he didn’t know his princesses. In fact, about half-way through the sequence (a bit before Tiana danced on the ice) he leaned over and commented, “are all of these people supposed to be Disney stories?”

Which made me realize that I now have less than 2 months to school my husband on the princesses. Because there is no way I’m going to retell each and every story to him as we run up to each princess asking for an autograph or picture while at Disney World.

Disney on Ice: Let’s Celebrate celebrates some of children’s favorite holidays through the characters of favorite stories. It begins celebrating Unbirthdays (of course with the Mad Hatter, Alice and the White Rabbit, as well as Pinocchio, Gepetto, and the Fairy), and continues celebrating Halloween (with a collection of evil villians like Captain Hook and Cruella DeVille), Valentine’s Day (that’s the Princess segment, of course), summer vacation and, of course, Christmas.

Now, this is where I have to bring up the fact that such a big deal was made over celebrating Christmas. In fact, most of the holidays mentioned were commercialized religious holidays. And it really wouldn’t bother me, had there been even one tiny mention, or even one little song that mentioned so many of the other holidays left out. Holidays like 4th of July, Cinco de Mayo, Thanksgiving and, of course, Chanukah. Those are all holidays of celebration. And while I understand that most preschoolers don’t recognize the celebration in those holidays, wouldn’t it be great to help to introduce others to these celebrations?  Even with one song sung by a few characters that recognizes that there are hundreds of things to celebrate?

Okay, I’m  now down off my soapbox. Because the show was absolutely fantastic. The kids were mesmerized. The huz was concerned because he didn’t see movement from Middle for nearly the entire show. But that non-movement translated to complete focus and fascination of such a sensational spectacle. The music, the fireworks, the sets, the costumes, the characters. Everything was so real to the kids.

By-the-way, Big’s favorite part was the Christmas celebration. When I asked him it only confirmed what I already knew. When Jessie, Buzz and Woody skated out with the toys he jumped out of his seat with excitement.

Oooooh. WDW here we come! I’m just so excited to see my kids there.

Disney on Ice: Let’s Celebrate is at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia through January 3. You can get discount tickets with coupon MOM at comcasttix.com. Follow this link for more information.

I’m a Feld Family Activator (through Mom Central). As an FFA, I received tickets for my family to attend Disney on Ice last night. Many thanks to FELD Entertainment and Mom Central!

© 2009, Julie Meyers Pron. All rights reserved.