Caravella Family Trip 2023
How often do you go to Disney?: Every couple of years
Trip Deets: January 2023, 7 nights, multigenerational trip- our family of 4 (my kids are 2.5 and 5.5), my husband's sister her husband and 2 kids (1.5 and 4), and my in-laws.
The Best Part of Your Trip?: Honestly, I can't pick one thing, but I would say just seeing the parks through my kids. My son had a hard time with some rides. He has sensory sensitivities, but we let him call the shots for basically a whole day at Magic Kingdom, and he had an absolute blast. I think it was very empowering for him to be able to lead us and know which rides he would enjoy and which he wanted to avoid. My daughter is super into princesses, and we did Akershush and Story Book Dining for her. We also took her to sir Mickey for pixie dust and photos in their photo shoot area. She felt so special!
An unexpected freebie that my son absolutely loved was the park maps. He is five years old, but he learned the whole park layout, he knew how to read the map, he knew where we were and he loved showing us where to go next using it. It totally occupied him and kept him engaged between attractions! I took copies home to laminate for him because he loved them so much.
What Would You Do Differently?: We had five park days and one off day. Next time I would do at least two off days. We stayed at Caribbean Beach and the resort was beautiful and had lots of activities, but we didn't get the chance to take advantage of them all. Also, there are other resorts and experiences outside the parks I want to be able to see and do.
What is the Best Tip you got from Well Hello Disney?: So much! Money saving tips like preplanning meal expenses with gift cards, park strategies, nap time places for kids, freebies like getting pixie dusted at sir mickeys and free ice water, rides that might not be best for littles (there are things we don't realize kids will be sensitive to- we love mickeys philharmagic and you'd think it's easy for kids but it was too loud for my son), and of course having more than one Magic Kingdom day!
*The "second shift" is a real thing, and it is important. It takes some time, but those few minutes are worth it to be able to wake up and go prepared in the morning. Having a checklist like Jessica suggests is a great idea and takes out the guesswork. Dont forget a portable charger for your phone you will need it.
*Absolutely take advantage of mid-day nap time. We opted to stay in park, but made sure the kids got at least 1.5-2 hour naps in. This is important because after like 7:30 pm most of the kid rides are walk-on, so whether or not you have Genie+ you can have an easy evening with no lines if your kids can stay awake for it. So make sure they nap!
*Advanced Dining Reservations can be competitive, but don't get discouraged! Despite being ready to go at 6am on my 60 days, I still didn't get many reservations I wanted. Jessica taught me about apps/websites that can help. I used the free versions of Mouse Dining and Stakeout and was able to get all 5 hard to get reservations that I wanted! I was even able to modify a time the day before one of them. Often reservations become available at the last minute. Just be vigilant.
Give us Your Best Disney Tip!: DO NOT wing it! Go prepared, do your homework. Time is money, and if you don't have an idea of what you want to do or some plan you will be lost. Also, don't over plan and be prepared to pivot because it is inevitable.
What was your most useful Platform on Well Hello Disney?: Instagram and podcast
Leave Well Hello Disney a review!: Jessica from Well Hello Disney is a real one! She is a mom who gives practical advice and awesome tips when planning your Disney trip. She just gets it and it's refreshing to hear someone give a realistic view. It is not easy with young kids but by following her and listening to her podcast I learned a lot of things that really helped make our trip easier and more enjoyable! Going to Disney with kids is very different than going before you had kids- and it can be tough to not always be able to do what you want to do, but seeing it through their eyes is incredible and makes it all worth it.
COMPLETELY OPTIONAL! We would love to hear how you saved money, your budget, and any programs you used to help reduce the cost of your trip:: I used my target red card to buy gift cards slowly leading up to the trip I also got some Black Friday deals on gift cards at Sams Club and used those to pre-budget like a meal plan just like you taught me! I ended up only having to pay $75 out of pocket for food. I also bought bubble wands in advance when you posted they were on sale! We ordered groceries on Amazon fresh and brought snacks and water to the parks. We ate breakfast on the go on the way to the park with the groceries too. We always got free ice water at counter service like you taught as well. We brought our own autograph book, apparel all bought on sale in advance. I made a stroller tag with colorful bows to save time finding it every time. I brought a ton of ziplock bags and saved the food my kids refused to eat for when they were "starving" an hour later- another tip I got from you!
