Hi there, friends! To say this post is a long time coming would be an absolute understatement but, as they say, better late than never! Today, I’m finally sharing more insight into our first trip to Disney with Louie. We took this [very quick] trip back in December when we were visiting family for Christmas. It was such a last minute idea that we threw out to my Dad and stepmom and I, honestly, thought they’d say ‘you guys go and have fun ut

What We Brought and Wore to Disney

who helped you plan your first trip to Disney? would you recommend a planner?

Okay, I would 1000% recommend a trip planner if you’re completely new to Disney, haven’t been in a number of years [especially since the pandemic], and / or you’re going for a large number of days with a large number of people. We only went for a one day / one night experience and found it to be SO MUCH help!

Allison Hobbs is who we used and she was absolutely wonderful. We did this very, very last minute. She was so incredibly quick with what options we had available within our timeline, the pro’s and con’s to each, and swift in booking the decisions we made. She also was a dream when it came to communication.  My Dad kindly gifted this experience to us for Christmas because he knows experiences over things matters to me over physical things any day of the week. With that said, she had to go between me, the freak asking her a bajillion questions and trying to get all the details so I could assume my natural role as leader of the pack – I suffer from typical first child syndrome – and my Dad, who had the credit card. So, I really appreciated that she didn’t hesitate when it came to going between the two of us for what she needed but, more than that, I appreciated just how knowledgeable she is about Disney. There’s SO MUCH to know and, when you go once every few years or are a first-timer, it can feel so intimidating in trying to figure out what has been updated and / or where to even begin! So, definitely consider reaching out to see if she can offer you any assistance with your trip!

where did you get the backpack you wore?

From this adorable shop called The Magic Box! I can’t recommend her stuff enough! The prints are so cute and the quality of the products were really nice. I had a hard time narrowing the number of bags and pouches down but, honestly, they all got used, whether it was for snacks, diapers & wipes & a change of clothes, or a mini emergency kit [which actually came in handy a few times!] so, no regrets there!

would you bring your own stroller or rent one?

I think the answer for this will be completely dependent on the person but, I personally loved having our own. We have the Bugaboo Butterfly, which is a lightweight travel stroller. It’s super easy to fold down and lift when needed. It’s easy to unfold, as well. It has a medium size storage carrier underneath, which was perfect for us. We added THIS side netting, which was great for added storage. We didn’t know whether or not we’d need it but it was handy to bring and we did end up stuffing some water bottles in there so we didn’t have to buy them in the park. After those were consumed, we had space to store items that the littles wanted to buy in the shops. We also bought a custom stroller sign to easily identify it.

what would you recommend bringing into the park for YOU?

I’d recommend a large bum bag. I bought this one that comes in two sizes. I bought this small one BUT it just wasn’t big enough for what I wanted to have on me which was my phone, car keys, louie’s photo book, extra battery pack, lip gloss, and a small snack in case Louie wanted something in line. Because of this, and because we were a little rushed going from the car to the bus [to head to the park] after arriving, I ended up bringing my purse AND the small bum bag which, honestly, was just too much with all of the other pouches I brought [which I’ll outline below and all were great to have]. So, having that extra personal bag was too much when I really just needed the larger bum bag so I could carry all of my essentials on me when we went on rides [without carrying TWO bags lol].

Make sure you pack an extra battery pack [non Mag-safe option] for charging your phone. It’s a long day especially if you’re not staying super close to the parks. If you’re going between April and November, I’d recommend bringing a portable fan [for you | for littles] because, I’m not sure if you’ve heard but, Florida is sticky and hot … and Disney is crowded.

what did you bring into the park for LOUIE?

– backpack to carry ALL of the following pouches

– mini pouch with medical items & first aid – travel size calpol with syringe, a few band-aids, gauze, and alcohol swabs, children’s pepto-bismol,

– medium pouch– change of clothes, wipes & diapers to bring into bathroom

– large pouch with variety of snacks

– backpack – to carry all of these pouches in so they aren’t just all over the place

– refillable water bottle [for everyone in your party if possible] – bring water bottles in with you so you’re not paying an absurd amount on water in the park

– tablet for long lines – obviously up to you but we brought it thinking it could be helpful during meals but we ended up not needing it

– portable fan from April through November – [for you | for littles]

– I didn’t bring this but could be good to bring in a glow necklace to wear at night so you can more easily see them and aren’t tempted to buy one of the $40 glow things they sell at the park

where did you get the holiday sweatshirt you wore on stories?

I got it at THIS cute Etsy shop — it’s 40% off right now!

where did you stay? would you recommend?

We stayed at the Wilderness Lodge. Granted, it was only for a night but we LOVED it. We definitely wish we could have seen more of it but, what we did experience, was lovely. Our room was clean and comfortable. The staff was kind and courteous. The food at the restaurant in the lobby area was delicious and Louie happened to have the opportunity to meet Pluto, Donald Duck, and Goofy as we were leaving. Not to mention, the Christmas tree in the lobby could very well been the largest one I’ve ever seen. It was huge and the entire property was perfectly decorated for Christmas. Can’t wait to come back!

what transportation did you use from the hotel to the park? would you recommend?

• TO THE PARK: We took the bus and we only waited about two minutes for it but that was just by happenstance … i believe my brother said they had been waiting for ten minutes before we walked up. I think the bus comes every 12 minutes but please double check that because I am just going off of what I vaguely remember hearing someone say.

• BACK TO THE HOTEL: We took the bus but very much wish we had taken the ferry. We left the park around 10:00pm and we waited OVER 30 minutes for a bus which, when you have a little one who has been at the park all day, it feels a lot longer. The park didn’t close until midnight so, I’m not sure why the buses to a Magic Kingdom resort weren’t running more frequently but, that was just our experience. My Dad and stepmom had left maybe 20 minutes before us, got on the ferry after waiting 5 minutes, and supposedly breezed through the lobby and into bed with no issues lol – so, the ferry is what we will be opting for next time, ha!

Did you get Magic Bands ahead of time like you wanted to?

We actually never ended up buying Magic Bands! We always ended up meaning to but then just never getting around to it. We loaded our tickets into our iPhone Wallet and just used that throughout the day. We pay for stuff using Apple Pay all the time and we always have our phones on us so it just kind of made sense to save the $35. We may get them in the future but decided against it on this trip!

Definitely recommend getting in as early as possible to try and get a good photo with the castle in the background. We did okay on time considering we drove down that morning but, we had to hurry to our first ride, which was about to expire and we literally just had ride-and-ride booked after that so never really made it back to Main Street until the evening. Louie took a nap around 2:00 and my parents told me and John to go enjoy the park on our own for a bit — not something we’re used to, hah! It was so nice to have FREE childcare coverage here and there on this trip!! You really appreciate it when you don’t get it very often.

Any big pieces of advice for a first trip to Disney? Any do’s and don’ts?

My biggest pieces of advice is honestly to just keep your expectations low, stay as upbeat and patient as you can, and go with the flow. We went to Disney quite a bit as a kid and I feel like my parents really embraced that mentality and I feel like I only ever remember Disney being pleasant and fun because of it. Not that we never whined about the lines or the heat or our feet hurting .. I know we did, but their overall attitude was such a great anchor. They just took what the day gave them and made the best of it. I actually think it’s important to go into each day knowing your kids are going to have moments where they struggle because there is so much they’re experiencing that isn’t a part of their everyday so, try to keep yourself in check as much as possible.

Here are my do’s and don’ts:

DO —

Get a good night sleep the night before

Pack a refillable water fan with extra batteries or portable charger if you go in the Summer — especially if your kids aren’t used to humidity

Dress in layers if you go in the Winter

Wear comfortable shoes – no matter when you go!

Bring a water bottle per person to fill your refillable water bottles then refill at the filling stations in the park, usually outside of the restrooms

Bring a change of clothes for your littles [and maybe you as well, if its the summer]

Go at your kids’ pace, not yours, and try to go with the flow as much as possible

Bring medication, even if you don’t think you’ll need it. We needed something out of our medical pouch for Louie on the day we were there and we were so happy we had what we needed to hand rather than stressing over finding where to buy it in the park.

Put an Airtag on your kids’ shoes in case you get separated [heaven forbid!]. We had this all set up for Louie and then, of course, we left his shoes at the house that morning by accident. We put him in the car in his pajamas because we drove down early from Jacksonville so I just totally forgot his shoes. Thankfully, I had packed another pair just in case but I was bummed bc I felt so prepared with this little animal airtag holders hah!

Utilize the app as much as possible before you go:

• Set-up everyone’s profile a few weeks in advance and get linked together
• Get everyone’s tickets uploaded to their wallets or yours
• Link your hotel reservation so you can check-in using the app
• Make lunch and / or dinner reservations [food isn’t the best in the park unless you make a reservation somewhere; do this weeks in advance!]
• Consider Genie+ for lightning lane access – honestly, it was SO worth the extra money! Is it annoying that it’s in addition to your ticket? yes! but it saves you so much time and prevents annoyances
• Designate someone from your group to be in charge of this, preferably someone who isn’t managing everything else 😉 There are rules to this, and things to know about how to set it up on the day you go so it’s helpful if it’s one person’s thing to manage!

DO NOT —

Do not forget your stroller rain cover! You’re going to Florida, which is technically the ‘sunshine state’ but it should really be ‘it rains at least once a day’, especially in the summer, state.

Do not go to the park without making meal reservations. There aren’t a lot of ‘meal’ options in the park. There are places to stop to get one or two types of food [like plain or loaded hot dog, for example, with fries and a drink] but not a lot of ‘balanced’ or ‘healthy’ meals.

Do not forget that there is now a requirement to ‘reserve’ a day to go to the park in addition to buying a ticket to the park for entry so make sure you do that! This doesn’t apply to one-day ticket holders. More info on the website or ask your Disney planner!

Alright, you guys! I think that does it! If there’s ever anything else I can help with, be sure to leave a comment. I’m sure there’s something I missed! Sorry it took me ages to get this post up but, better late than never! Thanks so much for stopping by today! Talk to you soon! xo.