Pink Diva's Top 5 Walt Disney World Tips - Tips from the Magical Divas and Devos

By Pink Diva

We recently went on our first Disney vacation after becoming Annual Pass Members. Here are my five top tips when vacationing at Disney World.

Prepare for the weather. It is still VERY hot in September. Wear comfortable shoes, clothes, hats and sunglasses. Bring enough sunscreen for the trip and remember to reapply often. Bring water bottles or camel packs for everyone in your party. Vendors give out free ice and you can keep refilling all day and stay hydrated. My kids are not big fans of plain water so I bring water enhancer and squirt a little with their water. Fall also brings rain. Lots and lots of rain. Don’t let the rain ruin your trip. Pack umbrella’s, ponchos, towels and something to cover the stroller and bags. A shower curtain is a favorite of ours.

This is the flavor enhancer we used. I kept it in the cooler with the water bottles and added as needed. Everyone stayed hydrated and happy.

Look into what the resort spa has to offer. While the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique is every princess’s dream, it can be a little pricey. We recently stayed at Shades of Green (Military resort on-property) and their spa boasts a Princess ($30) and Pirate ($20) Make-over. We did the princess make-over for A. She loved it! They made a big fuss over her, did her hair, make-up, sprinkled glitter on her and gave her a tiara. They even have princess and pirate curtains to get adorable after shots of your little one all made up. We brought a dress for her to wear, but they offer a discount on princess dresses in the gift shop when you do one of the packages. Other resorts have kid packages as well including manicures and pedicures.

A loved getting made-up like Cinderella.

Make character dining reservations at odd times. We recently dined at Tusker House in Animal Kingdom at 2:45 pm. We were a party of seven and made reservations when we booked the trip. We wanted a character meal with the classic characters because it was our son and daughter’s first trip. Chef Mickey was booked up and Tusker House suggested. We LOVED it! Tusker House is made up of a big room in the middle housing African themed food with smaller rooms all around where the characters weave in and out. We missed the lunch and dinner crowds and were practically the only ones there! The characters kept coming back to visit. We spent almost two hours eating, playing with the characters, getting photos and making memories.

The characters kept coming into the room and we were able to take lots of photographs and interact with them.

Take little ones to Disney, but be prepared. If you want to go to Disney, go! Yes, it’s a little more challenging with little ones, but they can enjoy it just as much as older kids. No, they may not remember going but that gives you an excuse to return in a few years! If you do decide to bring little ones make sure you pack everything they need. We put N in overnight diapers while at the park. We changed him as we normally would, but this gave us an extra layer of protection in case we could not reach a bathroom (on a ride, in line or watching a show). Use the baby care rooms. They are amazing. They have changing stations, high chairs, nursing rooms, play rooms, and kitchens. If you do forget something they have a wide range of baby items available for purchase. Take them on the rides. N loved Dumbo. He REALLY loved Dumbo. I had to drag him off kicking and screaming. He would have rode it all day if we let him. While all the parks have attractions for little ones, Magic Kingdom offers the most variety. There are plenty of rides without height restrictions to allow even the smallest member of your party to have a magical time.

N LOVED Dumbo. He also liked playing with the joy stick on the Toy Story Ride, riding the carousel, and Pirates of the Caribbean.

Do the special events if your budget allows. Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween runs on special nights in the Magic Kingdom and you need to purchase and extra ticket for this event. This is the only time adults are allowed to dress up and walk through the park. Upon entering you receive a bracelet that lets cast members know you are there to enjoy the party and your trick-or-treat bag. Yes, folks, you get to trick-or-treat IN the Magic Kingdom. They have stations around the park where cast members hand out fist-fulls of candy. The good, name-brand candy that you get excited about seeing in your kid’s Halloween bag. They do a special Halloween themed parade and the park is decorated in happy Mickey-shaped pumpkins. This event is great for the Disney Jr bunch as well as the older crowd. While it is not-so-scary you will see a few villains in the parade, doing a special show on the castle stage and walking through the park. It is dark and little ones could be frightened. Fast Passes are not available, but we walked on every ride. We waited twenty minutes to see Anna and Elsa and walked right on the Seven Dwarfs Mine Ride.