What to wear?! Baby Girls (because that is what I know!)

ok so this post was suppose to be about my Disney binder but I haven't had time to take pictures and it NEEDS pictures to go along with it so I am holding that one off until next time and this time talking about what to wear!

Now, I am a huge fan of dressing comfortable, everyone knows that. But I really am sad that my pictures as a child at disney were in high waisted shorts and swimsuit tops...seriously mom?!?!

So it is very important to me to make sure that the memories I have of Disney are seen through pictures. Some say this might sound silly but my girls loved our outfits this past summer and I have tons in store this year

1st thing) The Costume: Now....this is a staple for any 2-5 year old at Disney. Every little girl wants to be a princess and what a better place than Disney! Disney sells these amazing princess costumes and even has the Bibbity Boppity Boutique where you get transformed into a princesses! but if you are on a budget you can head over to your local Wal-Mart or Target and pick out one and no, it doesn't have to be a Disney princess costume. Any princess costume/pretty dress will do! For boys, Disney offers the Pirate League where you can be transformed into a Pirate, or when we were there we saw alot of buzz lightyears and woody's walking around. Same thing, you can bring a costume from home. Our rule on costumes is we wear them in the evening. That way its not too hot in the daytime. But trust me I saw plenty of little princesses and super heros all day!

2nd thing) pillow case dresses! If you are from the south I am sure you have heard of pillowcase dresses. These are light weight and perfect for Disney. Aubrie Kate wore one last year
and they both have 2 each this year. The dresses are easy to stay cool in and come in so many styles! I have ordered 2 from this lady for our trip this summer!

3) Shorts & Tshirts. The thing I love about disney is that in most restaurants (with the exception of maybe 5) you can go eat breakfast/lunch/dinner in your "park clothes". Walmart & Target both carry licesned Disney wear. But if you prefer to wear everyday clothes I highly suggest comfy shorts (cotton or athletic material) and loose fitting shirts. Madyson and Aubrie Kate wore these super cute outfits I picked up at Target for less than $8 an outfit!

If you are a Type A person like me you are probably wondering how much should you pack? Well last year we went from July 5-12. I took 2 outfits per day for the girls plus 2 extras just in case. We came home with 5 outfits that were not worn...3 of madyson's and 2 of aubrie's. This was mainly because Aubrie is a messy eater and doesn't like to be dirty.

Shoes! such a debate!

If you child is a walker the shoes you wear really depends on your child. Madyson is a huge fan of the Keds Daphne Shoe. (white leather tstrap) she loves these but HATES to wear socks so she wore sandles most days. I just made sure they were leather sandles, not plastic. Aubrie wore leather sandles as well. I tried her in crocs but she was not excited about having them on. and pitched the 1 tantrum of the day

Disney Shirts! We have one picture that a PhotoPass Photographer took of our family infront of Cinderella's Castle wearing all disney character ringer tees. I purchased these off of the disney outlet store website for 4.99 and 5.99!

We all know this is a silly blog and it doesn't matter what you wear, just as long as you have fun doing Disney with your friends! But I had to share this information incase there was any more photo scared people out there that went to Disney in swimsuit tops and high waisted shorts!

I hope if you are like me you did enjoy this! I promise next time will be the Disney book!

Quick Service, Character Meals, Dining Plan

Mangiare! Mangiare! or Eat! Eat!

One of my favorite past times at Disney!

This past summer was my first summer to really experience DISNEY DINING! Lets start with what I have experienced, then I will give you some details on what I have researched!

Character Meals!

Last summer we ate at Norway! We dined with the princesses at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall.

When we arrived we parked our stroller and unloaded "Snow white" and "Tinkerbell" (Madyson & Aubrie)

We let the cast member know that the Broadus' had arrived and she took us right in. There we stood in line for about 4 minutes and met Belle, in her BEAUTIFUL gold gown. We took a picture and she signed our book! We were then escorted to our table (which was in the back in a nook) and our server came to explain our dinner. We first went to the buffet for appetizers, then they brought the entree, then a family style dessert. Which is 1 plate with 3 desserts.

We skipped on most of the appetizers, we had some fruit and cheese but that was about it.

While we waited, we were visited by Sleeping Beauty & Ariel in her ballgown.

Dinner arrived. Todd had the chicken, I had the pork chop. Mine was the better of the two. Madyson & Aubrie shared a child's plate of chicken nuggets.

During this point, Snow white visited with us and they brought us a free photo set of our picture with Belle!

During Dessert (Rice Creme is the BEST dessert out of the 3) we had a surprise visit from Cinderella! It was so magical to watch the girls faces as the princesses sat and chatted with them like they were old friends! Snow white even gave Madyson a kiss on her forehead ( like she does in the movie) Cinderella was too cute. She commented on Aubrie Kate(who only had on 1 shoe) "Oh I see you have a problem keeping your slipper on as well." Totally worth the money.

The next morning was mine and Madyson's birthday (yes we share a birthday) we ate at Chef Mickey's! 1 buffet full of fruit, waffles, eggs, bacon, sausage, biscuits, everything.

Here we met Chef Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy and Pluto. The food was great! The restaurant was large and they even brought us cupcakes for our birthday! Here they will take your picture before the meal, it is not free like at Akershus.

My tip for this restaurant is to ask to be seated on the main floor if you are there for the characters and on the top floor (2 steps up) if you are there for the food. Although you get characters at any spot they seemed to hang out on the first floor a little more and it wasn't so congested.

We also ate at Rainforest Cafe in Animal Kingdom and some quick-service places during the week. More on that later.

With Character Meals you must remember that most Characters can change. We are hoping this summer we might get to eat with Mulan or Jasmine at the Princess Dinner!

Quick Service!

Quick Service meals are for us everyday folks who aren't on the dining plan and didn't budget alot for each meal. Think of Quick Services places like fast food restaurants. They usually have chicken tenders/nuggets, salads, sandwiches, macaroni and cheese, pizza...you know the basics.

My favorite Quick Service Restaurant is The Pinocchio Village Haus. If you sit on the left side towards the back you can see the "It's A Small World Ride" it is really neat!

Dining Plan!

The Disney Dining Plan is offered to Disney Resort Guests. This allows you to pay for your food before you go to Disney so it is one less thing on your plate.

Last summer, Madyson was under 3 and Aubrie was a baby so they didn't qualify for the Dining Plan and Todd and I did the Math and found out it was cheaper for us to just pay out of pocket.

This summer, Madyson is old enough for the dining plan and Aubrie will share from our plates but Yes we will have it this year!

There are alot of Options on Dining Plans for Disney. So please be sure to read them all!

But here are a few

QUICK-SERVICE. Great for the family that doesn't like sit down dinners to slow them down! 2 quickservice meals and 2 snacks per day.

DINING: 1 quickservice meal a day, 1 table service meal a day (like a character meal), 1 snack a day.

DELUXE DINING PLAN: 3 meals a day (quick service or table) and 2 snacks

This summer we are so excited we are dining again at Norway (Yup, its a repeater...that's how good it was) Cinderella's Royal Table!! (GOING TO THE CASTLE!!...I can mark that off my bucket list) Crystal Palace, Chef Mickey's (Madyson's Request) and Ohana!

We will probably add Rainforest Cafe at Downtown Disney to this list but for now these are the ones I have already made reservations for!

"WAIT RESERVATIONS?!?!?" Yup, It is recommended that you have reservations for the restaurants mainly because they fill up fast! You can make reservations over the phone or online! We were able to make ours 180 days before!!! (last summer it was 90, so its a good thing I booked early!!)

When you make a reservation, they give you a confirmation number and send you an email that way you can print it out and bring it with you. I had all of mine last year in my "Disney Binder" which you will hear more about next time.

Disney has tons of fabulous restaurants for every age! We like to stick with Character meals right now bc our girls are so young and its a great way to see the characters without searching for them in the park. But if your kids are older there are meals without them...although I personally believe NObody is too big for character meals =)

baby stations, fireworks, and food (other than Disney's!)

One of the greatest places in Disney World is the  Baby Stations. They are located at each of the parks and are absolutely my favorite places. Here is what you can expect.
1) Temperature Controlled Rooms. We went in the summer and they were nice and cool!
2) a room for dad and the big kids to relax, watch movies, play with toys
3) amazingly large changing stations that are clean and comfortable
4) bathrooms with no wait
5) a little store where you can get formula, diapers, wipes, baby food
6) high chairs
7) breast feeding room

Yup all that, and its free. I mean why be scared to travel with a baby to Disney when they provide you with these amazing things!!

Fireworks:
Who doesn't like fireworks?!?! And at Disney they are fabulous! our favorite place to watch the fireworks is behind Cinderella's castle, instead of in front. we sit in the back by scuttles and watch them there. No crowds and you really feel like you are getting your own show!

Hollywood Studios:
Fantasmic is the show at Hollywood Studios, it is very entertaining, some critics say "may be to intense for young children" both of our girls LOVED it, they felt like they were watching a Disney movie play out in front of them. My tip here: get there early, bring snacks & games and be prepared to wait. We ended up waiting 3 hours for the show in line and sitting but it was worth it because we had great seats!

Epcot! We loved the fireworks at Epcot because they also include a laser show! We grabbed our frozen lemonade and took a seat on a bench just before the world showcase. It was amazing. Madyson just sat in awe...Aubrie slept!


Food:
As of right now, Disney allows you to bring snacks into the parks. We would do the following: Pack goldfish, pretzels, cheetos, animal crackers, vanilla wafers, beef jerky (the kids favorites) then we had a little insulated cooler that we would pack a sandwich lunch in or sometimes we brought lunchables. This helped us save in cost so much!! We would also freeze our water/juice in the room then pack them as well. Your cooler must be smaller than 24" X 15" X 18. Most soft sided coolers I have seen are acceptable.

Disney allows you to bring your own food with the exception of glass jars/bottles (except baby food) and alcoholic drinks. This is a great way to save on your budget!!! We also brought the easy cook bacon, yogurt, cereal, easy mac, hot dogs, microwavable chicken strips, ravioli, and veggies to eat in the room.

We drove and just loaded a cooler, if you are flying you can presend your food to the hotel via UPS. All Disney resorts addresses can be found on the Disney website.

Tomorrow we will discuss character meals, quick service and the Disney Dining Plan!

What are we going to do??

Okay! So now you know when you are going, where you are staying and so what are we going to do!??! I found myself asking this question over and over again! I mean Madyson was turning 3 during our trip and Aubrie was 16 months old...She couldn't enjoy Disney..Could she?? I mean what was she going to do?!?! Simple, EVERYTHING!!!

Disney is an amazing place, like I said on the Where to Say post, they think about all families. Aubrie Kate rode every ride we did. Now keep in mind I am not a thrill seeker and all though I have ridden all the roller coasters Disney has to offer (SEVERAL TIMES!) I knew this trip was going to be "KID BASED!"

But we did ride ALOT of Rides...Here are a few...

Peter Pan Ride

Winnie The Pooh Ride

Dumbo

Teacups

Haunted Mansion

Aladdin's Flying Carpets

Pirates of the Caribbean

Cinderella's Golden Carousel

Its a Small World

Toy Story Mania

The Seas with Nemo and Friends

The Great Movie Ride

Honey I shrunk the kids movie set (not really a ride, but still..)

WDW Railroad

Studio Backlot Tour

Kilimanjaro Safaris

Triceratop Spin
Wildlife Express

(On the teacups!!)

Plus we saw shows like the Lion King, Playhouse Disney Life on Stage, The Magic of Disney Animation, Hall of Presidents

We toured Pooh's Playful Spot, Minnie & Mickey's Houses, and Donald's Boat!

The only ride she did not go on with us was Goofy's Barnyard Storm..a Preschool age roller coaster! "So what did you do with her while you rode?" Great Question! We used the Rider Swap tool! "What's that?" Well...I rode with Madyson the first go around. Todd had Aubrie and he and a cast member waited at the unloading station. When my turn was over, I took Aubrie and Todd jumped right in...NO WAIT! it was fabulous!


And whoooooo can forget the obsessive amount of Characters we saw! We made a "mission" for madyson. We gave her a 100 page autograph book and her mission was to fill it up! She did..well all but 5 pages! It was so much fun! Oh and alot of people skip out on Animal Kingdom..if you have a child who LOVES the characters...DON'T! We never waited in line there to see them and we saw them all! Safari Mickey, Minnie, Daisy, Donald, Goofy, Lilo, Stitch, Jimney Cricket, Rafiki, Pooh, Eeyore, Tigger, Terk, Flick, Ballou, King Louie..etc. etc. At Animal Kingdom they have Character Spots down little paths and its like a scavenger hunt but in our case...nobody apparently did their research and knew about this so we had all the time we wanted with some of our furry friends! The only characters we waited in line to see were the fairies of Pixie Hollow, But that was an amazing experiance for our girls, and they both still love their pixie dust covered frame tink & the gang signed for them! Another great spot for characters is the Character Spot at Epcot! We started our trip off there and saw all the fab 5 (mickey, minnie, goofy, donald, pluto) it was a great start to a great vacation...did i mention it was indoors?!?!

"But uhhhhh all that baby stuff..." Here is how we did it. We went to the parks first thing in the morning. We took a backpack with Aubrie & Madyson a change of clothes, their snacks, water, 4 diapers (1 each hour) wipes, and ponchos. We would stay at the parks until around noon, when weather was either WAYYY to Hot or about to rain. We then would hop on the bus head over to the hotel, grab some lunch, take a nap, go for a swim, take another nap, get up around 5:30 (when other people are going to dinner) and head back to the parks with a new refilled backpack.

Aubrie only drinks chocolate milk and apple juice...no problem. We froze a few of her juice boxes in our little room fridge then we would take them with us. YES DISNEY LETS YOU BRING IN YOUR SNACKS!! When she was tired and ready for milk, almost every counter service place had chocolate milk for under $3.00 bucks.

We also took a trip to Downtown Disney, ate at the McDonald's there, went to the Lego store, and to the LARGEST Disney Store, We played Miniature golf (if you stay on grounds you will get a coupon for 1 free game of mini golf!) We went and played at different resorts, we swam and swam and swam!

There is so much you can do when traveling with Toddlers! This post is just a first glance and the best parts of traveling with the wee-wee tots! Come back tomorrow to find out about baby stations, parades, fireworks, and food!

Where to stay?

So you have decided "We are going to Disney!"...now what?

Once I decided on when and how long I like to find my hotel first. Disney offers hotels to fit any size family but you can also stay "off grounds" too. I have done both.

Here are my pros & cons.

Staying Off Site:
Pros: Cheaper
Cons: Can't use the Disney Transportation, Can't experience Extra Magic Hours (EMH), Can't have the Disney Dining Plan (DDP).

Staying On Site:
Pros: Disney Transportation, EMH, DDP, Atmosphere!
Cons: Haven't found any yet.

I love the Disney resorts! You can tell that they were designed with all families in mind. There are different levels of resort to choose from!

Value: these are the least expensive but I LOVE the value resorts. They are called "ALL STAR" (music, movies, sports) and Pop Century! These colorful resorts have a great vibe and are excellent for a family on a budget. I stayed at the All Star Music in Spring '99 and enjoyed it so much we will be staying there again this summer, but in the Family Suites! (sleeps 6 plus baby in a crib!) Todd and I toured the Pop Century Resort this past summer! It is full of great nostalgic items like the "classic mickey phone", SUPER SIZED big wheel and more! Also, they had a "splash fountain" that all the cute pirates and princesses were piddling in! Note: these rooms do not have microwaves or fridges but can be requested. Also they have a food court instead of restaurant. Fun tip! All star Music shows movies by the pool each night!

Moderate: This is the next "LEVEL" up. We stayed at the Caribbean Beach Resort (CBR) this past summer! It is the largest moderate resort and we thought this would be no big deal! Well let me tell you about it! The check in area is in a separate building from all the "islands", the pool-restaurant-shop was a 10 minute walk from our room, and it has an INTERNAL shuttle. With all the negatives said, let me tell you about all the positives. Each "island" has a pool, never crowded alot of fun! The main pool was amazing with a kids pool area that was awesome. The staff was so gracious, the grounds were beautiful (hammocks, sand, playground) they had activities around the grounds and so on. I loved this resort, but it was a good thing we had our car there! This hotel does have mini-fridges in each room and you can request microwaves! The rooms are NEMO themed or you can up grade to a Pirate room!
Also in this level is "The Cabins at Ft. Wilderness", Coronado Springs, Port Orleans Riverside, Port Orleans French Quarter! They all have a unique decor. Madyson & I toured Ft. Wilderness and loved the atmosphere! Tons of activities, great "at home" feel! Fun Tip: Ft. Wilderness is the home to Mickey's Backyard BBQ, Hoop-de-doo Musical Review, and Chip-N-Dale's Campfire sing-a-long *a free event*

Deluxe: OOO La La! Now here is vacationing at its finest (all though I have never stayed at this level I have toured some of these!)
In the Deluxe category there is the Animal Kingdom Lodge, Beach Club Resort, Boardwalk Inn, Contemporary Resort, Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, Polynesian Resort, Wilderness Lodge Resort, Yacht Club. At these resorts you will find alot of great amenities such as room service, on site fine dining, character meals, massage & fitness centers & spas, plus amazing atmospheres!

My three favorites are the Animal Kingdom Lodge, The Contemporary Resort, and The Grand Floridian. Madyson and I toured these this past summer and let me tell you...before I am 30 I will stay at one (even if it is by myself!!)

The Animal Kingdom trumps the other 2 in capacity. You can sleep 8 in certain rooms! Some rooms overlook the savanna where giraffes, zebras, and other animals graze *Keep in mind animals aren't actors, they do what they want so seeing them might not always be the easiest thing, but at the room I looked at, you could see them GREAT!* Some amenities here are
Satellite TV with Disney Programming
High-speed Internet Access (for an additional fee)
Refrigerator
Hairdryer
Iron and Iron Board
Coffee Maker
Alarm Clock with CD Player (available in all Club Level Guest rooms)
DVD Player (available in all Club Level Guest rooms)
Microwave (can be requested in Club Level Guest rooms)

The Contemporary Resort is on the monorail, I mean HOW COOL IS THAT? Plus it is the home to Chef Mickey's a great Character Buffet! You can see Cinderellas castle from this hotel, so that is just another plus! We walked through this hotel and fell in love with all the aspects! Also the California Grill (a signature dining spot) is located here! *GUYS this is a great romantic place to have a delicious meal and see the fireworks over the castle!! Perfect Proposal?? I think so!!

Last but not least is the Grand Floridian. Everything about this resort is grand. The decor makes you feel like you are the most wealthiest person in the world, 1900 Park Fare is located here (a great character dining spot with some amazing Strawberry Soup!), you can have tea with Alice...venture over to the Disney wedding pavilion! (I DID!! OHHHH FANTASY!!) Eat a Victoria & Albert's (an AMAZING RESTAURANT!!!) and soo much more!

Disney also has a variety of Villas that are available at different resorts. The only one I have any tips on is the Bay Lake Towers at the Contemporary Resort. These were being finished when we were down there this past summer and they LOOKED AMAZING! Flat screen tvs, whirlpool tubs, you name it...they've got it!

Now...where do you want to stay?

Welcome!

Welcome to the Disney, Mom Style Blog! As a huge lover of all things Disney, I have never loved it more than I do now, as a mom. We took our first family trip to Disney in July 0f 09 and are planning a return July 10! This blog will show you things we did in our first trip, what worked well for us, what did not, where we ate, what we packed, and so on! Plus it will give you an inside peak on things we have in stored for this vacation!

I have been to Disney in all the eras of my life! I went as a child, as a teenager, as a young adult and as a mom, and let me tell you NOTHING beats seeing your child see Cinderella's Castle for the first time! (or get a hug from Mickey, a kiss from Snow White, watch the fireworks at Epcot..and so on and so on!)

I will do my very best to keep you up to date with all things going on a Disney! I look forward to taking this magical journey with you!