DISNEY WORLD Travel Guide

Hey guys! Sorry I haven't been posting as much this week, I have been working hard on this post in particular! WARNING: it is lengthy. If you follow me on Instagram, you probably saw that I went to Disney World for a long weekend, Friday-Monday and we literally planned it and booked it Thursday night, lol. I already had those two days off of work plus always having weekends off so it worked out! Most of you know, we do go to Disney World once or twice a year. This one was a quick trip but still super enjoyable as always. A couple years ago, we stayed for a whole month and it was great! The weather was mid to upper 80's this past weekend and it was amazing! We love it every time! In this post, I am going to be sharing what I did this trip and things I recommend doing while at Disney World! 

Where We Stay

Most of the time, we stay at The Cabins at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort. We absolutely love it here! We stay here most of the time because Thomas' family has a motorhome so they usually get a campsite and we get a cabin all in one resort! We also love the wilderness feel and driving around the resort on golf carts- the best part! Another big thing is that this resort is on Bay Lake. This means that you can take the boat as a way of transportation to other Luxury resorts on Bay Lake and to Magic Kingdom as well. It is super convenient. Additionally, the bus system is always an option too but we try to avoid it. This resort has two different pool locations. One pool is very kid friendly with a big slide, hot tubs, snack bar, music, etc! The other pool is for anyone but it seems quieter and less-crowded and not as many kids. It also has a hot tub and we usually take the golf cart to this pool at nighttime for a late night hot tub dip! I totally recommend this resort or any resort on Bay Lake. Having the boat or monorail system as another form of transportation is just that much more convenient. We also like Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, Disney's Polynesian Village Resort, and Disney's Wilderness Lodge. All three of these are part of the up-scale luxury resorts and on Bay Lake and are wonderful! They all have great dining options and amazing pools!

Cabins at Fort Wilderness

Polynesian Resort 

Grand Floridian Resort

Where to Eat 

 We def have some favorite places to eat at Disney! Most of them are character dinings because why not?!-you're at Disney World! Most places that I am listing are either walk-up buffet style or buffet- family style at the table. The food is usually pretty good and you can always look ahead at menus on the Disney My Experience app beforehand. By the way- if you plan your trip in advance, you can book reservations of any type as far out as you want! Restaurants on Disney property (especially character dining) fill up pretty quick if you are trying to book them while being on the trip or especially the day of. I would recommend setting up a My Experience account on the app and plan your trip beforehand! It helps a lotttt with not being so stressed with planning while being on the trip. One food spot we did not go to on this trip is Disney Springs. There are lotss of different places to eat there that are amazing as well! 

1. O'hana at Disney's Polynesian Village Resort

We book this restaurant for breakfast usually and we love it every single time! It fills up quickly because it is a character dining. All of the characters come by for pictures and autographs and there is also a little dance for kids with the characters throughout the meal. They serve the food family style at the table and it is bottomless so eat up! Mickey waffles are THE BEST (you'll thank me later). 

2. Chef Mickey's at Disney's Contemporary Resort

Chef Mickey's is a classic character dining that you won't want to miss! We also go here every time we go to Disney. They also do a dance with the characters throughout the meal. This is a walk-up buffet style meal and they have so many choices and it is all so yummy! This place also fills up quickly. 

3. Random snacks anywhere at Disney Resorts or Parks

4. Plaza Ice Cream Parlor 

An ALL TIME FAVORITE! This is at Magic Kingdom on the corner of Main Street, U.S.A. and we literally do not go to MK without making a stop here. This, right here, is the All American Sundae. It is amazing...vanilla and chocolate ice cream with peanut butter drizzle and hot fudge, whipped cream, and mini chocolate and peanut butter chips. SOOO yummy. 

5. Whispering Canyon Cafe at Disney's Wilderness Lodge

If you're in for a good laugh for lunch or dinner, this is the place to go! My-oh-my lots of stuff happens at this place lol. Let's just say, the servers are a bit extreme on things. You can choose harsh or not so harsh on how hard the servers pick on your family lol. This is a family style buffet and the food is great but the laughs are even better. 

We ordered a sweet tea... came out in a massive mason jar. 

Ask for ketchup, how about 10 ketchups?!

6. Grand Floridian Cafe

This is a quaint perfect little lunch spot with really good food. I have never been disappoint with what I have ordered on the menu. Plus, you get some great views because the Grand Floridian is beautiful! 

Things you Don't Want to Miss

1. Disney's happily ever after castle firework show is a must at Magic Kingdom! It happens every night after sunset. When we just went, it was happening at 8:55 PM and lasts for about 20 minutes. We watch this every time we're at Magic and love it just as much each time. The firework show is amazing especially with the projectors on the castles, lights, fireworks, music, and look closely for tinkerbell zipping above you! (Sorry for the light pole in the way, it was too crowded to move). 

2. Disney Festival of Fantasy Parade. This parade is a must at MK as well! It happens during the day and it great every time! The floats are amazing and the characters are always waving left and right! The kiddos will love this one!

3. Disney's Electrical Water Pageant. This happens late in the night, usually around 10:30-10:45 PM. This is an electrical water parade and it is sooo amazing! It happens on Bay Lake and you can watch from any of the resorts on Bay Lake and of course from Magic Kingdom. It is a magic scene to see at nighttime on the water! Watching light up floats and music on the water from afar is such a cool sight you don't want to miss I promise! 

4. Talking Mickey at Magic Kingdom. This should be the first stop as you enter Magic Kingdom as it is right to the right hand side as you walk in the park! This is a unique talking Mickey, when does that ever happen?! You can get all the pictures you want while being greeted and holding a conversation with the Man himself, Mickey! 

5. Main Street, U.S.A. at nighttime! Main street just sparkles at night, truly magical and beautiful! There are so many cute Disney shops off of main street and little eateries as well. Also walking down main street, you have the best view of The Castle. There is nothing better!

6. Fantasmic Nighttime Show at Hollywood Studios. This show is so great! It usually happens at park closing which is usually 9 or 9:30ish. This show is PACKED every single time. It is a 30 minute show and Mickey and his crew are on-stage and on the water some too! You can even set up a fast pass for this show so that you can get early seating if that tells you how packed it gets! 

7. The Lion King Show at Disney's Animal Kingdom. This is also a must-see show and you can also get fast passes for it as well! This show is super interactive with the crowd and even pulls some people up for some things. 

8. Boat rental on Bay Lake. We just did this on our latest trip to Disney and it was awesome! We rented a pontoon boat and strolled around Bay Lake for a couple hours and enjoyed some sun on the water! This was amazing because you get to see all of the luxury resorts on the lake from a different view and up-close! They have all different kinds of rentals at all of the luxury resorts on Bay Lake and I definitely recommend this! 

9. Safari at Disney's Animal Kingdom. Their safari is HUGE!! You ride in this open window bus with others and can see tons of different animals! Sometimes they get up close and personal with the bus!

What To Ride

1. Rock N' Roller Coaster at Disney's Hollywood Studios. This ride is super fast and so much fun! It launches super fast into the darkness which lasts the whole ride. It does have a couple corkscrews and it plays loud music during the ride which makes it more fun!

2. It's A Small World at Disney's Magic Kingdom. This ride is such a classic.. we go on it every time we go to Disney! It is so amazing to ride around in a little boat and see all of the mind-blowing details that the ride has while listening to the "It's A Small World" song in the background. 

3. Space Mountain at Disney's Magic Kingdom. This ride is travelling through outer space in the darkness and it is a great thrill ride for everyone!

4. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at Disney's Magic Kingdom. This is a newer roller coaster and you are on a train travelling through a haunted gold mining town. This is def a must- do ride!

5. Haunted Mansion at Disney's Magic Kingdom. This ride is also a class at MK and we never miss out on it! The name says it all- you are basically riding in a little car though a haunted mansion. The details on this ride are amazing as well!

6. Expedition Everest at Disney's Animal Kingdom. This ride is racing on a roller coaster through the Himalayan Mountains and is definitely a great roller coaster for thrill seekers looking for a good time through the mountains!

Travelling Outfits

 Top: American Eagle Outfitters | Bottoms: PAIGE | Sandals: Tory Burch

Top: Nordstrom | Bottoms: Nordstrom | Sandals: Tory Burch

I know I mentioned this above also but I HIGHLY recommend booking your trip well in advance and getting your magic bands shipped to you (makes the trip that much more exciting, lol) and downloading the My Experience app. You can plan dining and things beforehand so you have less stress while being at Disney. I also recommend taking the Disney Magical Express bus from Orlando Airport to your Disney resort because its super easy and fast! Just look up their website and you can book it providing them with your flight number!

This about sums up my Disney World travel guide for you guys. There are sooo many more things to do and see at Disney World that I didn't list as well just because there's so much! It is the happiest place on Earth! I hope this post helps with the next planning of your trip to Disney World! XO, Meg.