Our Ultimate Disney Vacation Recap

We took our first big, family vacation to Disney World! Everyone had such a great time and it really was an amazing trip. This is our Ultimate Disney Vacation Recap where I will share all the things about our trip. My goal for this recap is to share the tips I found along the way, helpful things to pack, and our general experience staying at a Disney World Resort.

What this vacation recap is not:

• Ride planner
• Disney insider planning
• Full packing list
• Shopping list
• Tell you how to vacation

It’s been a solid ten to fifteen years since I’ve been to Disney. I can still remember my first trip; I was in third grade. My parents took me out of school a day or two before the last day of school to hop in a car and drive [from Connecticut] to Disney with my parents. I remember the monorail, specifically going through the Contemporary Resort, and then walking onto Main Street and seeing Cinderella’s Castle for the first time. I felt that feeling on this trip when we all walked to Main Street for the first time and then it all hit me as we were watching the fireworks.

From that first trip, I remember one ride vividly: an Alien ride (I think Alien branded…”Alien Encounter”). I was so scared; I screamed and cried. It’s possible I was having a panic attack. It was terrible. I’m happy to see that ride no longer exists. At one point, there was shift when we stopped going to Disney and started going to Universal. The latter was the most recent theme park Fatima and I visited together and had the most magical time in all the Harry Potter attractions.

Ultimate Disney Vacation Recap

Planning for Disney

For this first trip, I wanted the easiest experience, so I booked a room at the Polynesian Resort. It was incredible (more on that below). I looked around for deals, but found that booking direct with Disney was the easiest option. They took care of the rental car, the Memory Maker, park passes (discount for booking a package), and our hotel stay. It was all easily managed in the app. We ultimately passed on character dining. For this first trip, we spent both of our days in Magic Kingdom.

Once the trip was booked, I created my google sheet. I went through all the attractions we wanted to see, shops we wanted to visit, and all the food options in each area of the park. In planning for this trip, I knew flexibility was going to be key. With a five year old and a one and a half year old, we needed to let the day guide our plans. Once that was all good to go, I saved a shortcut on my phone and used that as a guide on the days of our visit. It was super helpful!

Packing for Disney

As I shared last week, I gifted the fam a little Disney goody bag ahead of the trip. A must for this trip was to have fun, be flexible, and be decked out in Disney gear every time we entered Magic Kingdom. Pack like you’re going to a theme park and walking around all day: breathable clothing, sneakers, sunglasses, and sunblock. Bathing suits for the hotel pool, our Colugo stroller (which fit perfectly in the plane’s overhead bin), and our Disney gear. Those were the basics. I packed my DSLR camera, but I found that to be a hassle and I was taking more photos on my phone. In addition, the Memory Maker was the best value for our trip because we were able to get all the family photos through that!

Amazon Packing List

In looking around at what else to pack, I found these Amazon items useful, too!

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• Glow bands – rather than buy a more expensive light up toy for the fireworks at the park, pack an alternative! We all wore these really fun bands, and even had a bunch of people ask where we got them!
• Water-protected pouch – we lucked out on the weather. It never rained when we were in the park. We took a gamble and didn’t pack ponchos. However, I packed these water-protected pouches and they made a great little bag to have on hand in the park, around the pool, and when we were at the beach.
• Waterproof diaper – Reusable and keeps all the things in the diaper, in the diaper. This waterproof diaper just goes right over the diaper your little one is wearing. We brought less expensive diapers to use in the pool because we were not about to waste those Coterie diapers! haha.
• LifeStraw – I definitely recommend an insulated, reusable water bottle for the park. You can refill it, pack it with ice, and you have cold water all day long. What I like about the LifeStraw water bottles, is I don’t have to worry about what’s in the tap water. What I didn’t like about this bottle in particular, is how hard you have to suck to get the water. If you’re good with tap, skip this on your packing list. If you’re a little more hesitant about the Florida tap water, pack this!
• Headphones for kids – a last minute purchase was a pair of headphones for each kid. When thinking about the inflight entertainment, we knew the plane headphones were going to be terrible. These age-appropriate headphones were great!
• Cooling towels – the only regret was buying and packing these cooling towels. I bought these because they were highly rated. They were TERRIBLE. I anticipated needing a cooling towel because I get hot so easily. These towels provided no relief. If you have a towel that works, let me know!

Resort Experience

I will always stay at a Disney Resort. I cannot recommend the Polynesian Resort enough. If you kidnapped me and dropped me on the Polynesian Resort, I would have thought I was on Hawaii. Walking onto the property brought me back to Maui. While the hotel was extremely kid-friendly, it also felt so calm and peaceful. The staff was amazing, the rooms were awesome, and they have Dole Whip onsite! I could not ask for more.

However, it gets better. The Oasis Pool Bar had one of THE BEST margaritas I’ve had at a resort. A rose-gold sunset margarita was my drink of choice when we were lounging by the pool. It was so good, we recreated it.

However, the food on the property was ok, nothing special. We were really bored by all the food and the options were lacking. The Oasis Pool Bar had some of the better options and seemed to have a more differentiated menu than other spots on the property. We ate there more than anywhere else. But that Dole Whip serving window was clutch. We couldn’t stay away!

Magic Kingdom Park Experience

So one of the best perks for staying on property is the early entry. With two kids who love to wake up at six in the morning, an 8:30am park open is exactly what we need. And when you stay at a resort on the monorail, getting to Magic Kingdom is so easy!

Walking right in and onto Main Street brought me back to my childhood. Walking up to the castle with my own kids was such a special moment. And then Fatima and I looked at each other and in unison said, “coffee time.” We darted right for Starbucks. Getting in early helps avoid a super long line. You’ll still wait a bit, but nothing like the line once the park opens for everyone. If you want your morning coffee in the park, grab one on the way, or head straight for Starbucks to avoid the lines.

Memory Maker

For me this was soooooo worth it. We got amazing family photos. As the photographer, I get everyone else’s amazing photos. When I hand off the camera or phone to a random tourist, we get terrible photos. So I never end up in pictures with the same quality photos as the pictures I take of my family. As we walked around, we kept our eyes peeled for those photographers. We took a few sessions on Main Street and a few in front of the castle. Along the way, pictures from different rides were added right into the app. For our first trip, it was worth it!

Rides, Attractions, and Food

Remember that Google Sheet? It guided our whole trip. Ahead of our trip, I went through all the rides we wanted to tackle. I noted which ones were all height (so Blair could ride with us), and which ones were rider skip so Fatima and I could take turns watching Blair and riding the rides with Liam.

We hit all the rides we wanted to with the kids. We didn’t get to the adult-only rides, and that was ok! Tron had just opened, so I knew it was going to be a long shot to get on and they don’t offer rider skip yet. Space Mountain was closed, and we just never got to Thunder Mountain. The Magic Carpets and Peter Pan’s flight were on the list to fill time, and we spent it doing other things like visiting shops, snacking, and resting!

For food, I narrowed down all options to these places:

• Gaston’s Tavern (cinnamon rolls) – I made this a specific stop on the trip from Fantasyland to the Haunted Mansion. Everyone says, “check out the cinnamon rolls.” We did and they were delicious!
• Friar’s Nook – snacky comfort food – perfect lunch/snack spot for the kids near Prince Charming’s carousel.
• Columbia Harbour House (seafood) – we stopped here after the Haunted Mansion for lunch. Fish sandwiches were great!
• Aloha Isle (Dole Whip) – didn’t need to stop here because we had Dole Whip at the hotel.
• Peco’s Bill Tall Tale Inn (Tex Mex) – we found ourselves at the border of Adventureland and Frontierland before the fireworks, and ducked in for dinner. It was pretty good!
• Casey’s Corner (hot dogs) – Fatima likes hot dogs, so I added this to the list, but we didn’t stop here.
• Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe (burgers) – looked like a great option for lunch for the kids, but we ended up grabbing lunch in Fantasyland.

Five hours. That’s our limit. It’s a healthy window for two young kids, but I noticed the steam start to run out after four hours. Staying on the monorail line allowed us to break up Magic Kingdom in two parts. We went a good five hours in the park before we took a break and went back to the hotel for napping and pool time. Around six o’clock, we headed back to the Magic Kingdom all refreshed and ready for dinner and fireworks. On day two, we did shorter half days and no fireworks.

Souvenir Haul

I’m not going to lie. I was really disappointed in the souvenir selections at Disney. They are not what I remember them to be. My family collects magnets from all the places we go. Since we started traveling as a family, we’ve been collecting magnets. Disney magnets are severely lacking. When I was a kid, one of my favorite magnet souvenirs was a 3D version of Cinderella’s Castle. It was so cool. I like the magnet we got, but there were not many options to choose from.

However, if you collect ornaments like we do, then you will love the Ye Olde Christmas Shop in Magic Kingdom and, if you have time, the Christmas Shop in Disney Springs. The ornaments are plentiful in both locations.

• Ye Olde Christmas Shop – Located right near the Columbia Harbour House in Liberty Square. This Is a must see shop for your Christmas ornament needs! Liam picked out some great ornaments for us.
• Disney Clothiers & The Emporium – All the shops on Main Street are connected, so it’s one of them. They are all a little different, but generally have very similar merch. We picked out the monorail and the magnet from one of these places.
• The Chapeau (Hats) – was on my list, but it was closed 🙁
• Contemporary Resort’s Fantasia Market – Fatima and I ran around to every gift shop at every Resort on the monorail line looking for a Goofy plush. Apparently, plushes were in low-stock everywhere, and Goofy was a rare find. The Polynesian has a great gift shop, but the Fantasia Market at the Contemporary Resort is a really good one to check out. They were the only gift shop to have Goofy (and it had a lot of really great toys).
• Disney Springs Disney Store + Christmas Shop – if you have time, you need to stop at Disney Springs. We stopped here on our way to the beach (the second half of our vacation). It’s a giant outdoor mall. The Disney Store there is humungous. They didn’t have Goofy, but you will find all sorts of treasures. That’s where I snagged the Dole Whip candle. The Christmas Shop is another great stop. That’s where I picked out a few more ornaments.

Ultimate Disney Vacation Recap

This vacation was truly magical. As a first trip via plane with the kids, we couldn’t have asked for a better experience. The photos speak for themselves. And now when I look at those photos, or smell the dole whip candle, or see Liam playing with the monorail or Blair snuggling Liam’s Goofy, I am filled with those vacation memories. We had an amazing time. Once we left the Disney Resort and checked into our beach resort for the second half of the vacation, the transition was hard. Our beach resort was fantastic and we’d definitely go back, but you notice the difference between a resort and a Disney Resort.