Walt Disney World Park Review

Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom…four parks and so little time. This is a dilemma that every Disney guest most likely experiences and I’m not even factoring in Disney Springs. There is just so much to see and do at Disney World that it makes it impossible to accomplish it all. I’m sharing my TAKE on what we loved and didn’t love in all the from the perspective of kids aged 8 - 2.5 with some bonus material for the adult minded travelers.

Before I get into reviewing rides and shows at the parks I want to call out something that should be utilized if traveling with little kids. Disney offers a program called Rider Switch. This means that if you have a child shorter than the height limit or perhaps a child who just doesn’t want to go on the ride, Disney will allow the grown ups to switch positions. This allowed the kids to go on some of their favorite rides 2x in a row and allowed for my husband and I to experience all the rides with the kids. We did this only when we had Fast Passes for the ride and the Cast Member checking fast passes would secure this for us by adding an additional fast pass onto the kids Magic Bands. In some cases we could do an Inside Rider Switch, this was the best case scenario but only works if your non-riding child meets the minimum height requirement for the ride. The Inside Rider Switch is preferred because it reduces time for all parties involved but whether inside or not the Rider Switch is a huge benefit for families with small children and should be taken advantage of!

Magic Kingdom - Magic Kingdom is the most popular park at Walt Disney World and for good reason too, it really appeals to all ages and has some of the most beloved rides. We spent the most time here and it was probably the kids favorite park as there was something for all of them. Our 2.5 year old loved the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party (tea cups), Dumbo (there is an interior play area while you wait), Peter Pan, The Jungle Cruise and It’s A Small World. She was a trooper and went on almost everything else even The Haunted Mansion (she covered her eyes) but those were here favorite rides which we did multiple times on separate days. As for the big kids they loved all of the Fantasyland rides too but Big Thunder Railroad, the Barnstormer, Tomorrowland Speedway and the Seven Dwarves Mine Train topped their list. Seven Dwarves Mine Train was their absolute favorite (adults liked it too) and I’d highly recommend securing a Fast Pass for it.

We did spend quite a bit of time meeting characters and getting autographs, mind you the characters don’t just walk around and greet guests so you most likely, will need to wait in line to greet them. Some wait times will be posted in the app like in FairyTale hall and others like Merida, Gaston and Alice in Wonderland have set times they are available. Mickey Mouse, Tinkerbell, Ariel and Merida were some of the most personable characters we met!

Magic Kingdom also has a spectacular fireworks show (Happily Ever After) each night with music and light projections against Cinderella’s Castle. Main Street gets pretty crowded at this time but the bridges from the castle to Tomorrowland are a little less crowded and offer prime viewing of Tinkerbell at the end. Pro tip: if you spend a couple of evenings at Magic Kingdom and have seen the fireworks show before it’s a great time to try and hit up a couple of rides that will certainly have a shorter wait time during the show. We went on Peter Pan during the show one night and waited for 5 minutes and after the fireworks the wait had shot back up to 50 minutes.

As for dining in Magic Kingdom I wasn’t overly impressed with anything but would say that the character dining at Cinderella’s Royal Table is worth it. Perhaps not the food exactly, but the experience of eating in the castle. We had a dinner seating and the kids got to meet Cinderella and four other princesses. Jasmine and Snow White were the favorites! The kids were gifted wands and swords, the meal was a respite from chicken tenders and wine was ordered with dinner. Our meal was at quite a late hour for the kids but it did provide the added benefit of being in the park after closing hours and it’s quite something to walk Main Street with only a handful of other people compared to the thousands in the morning hours.

Epcot - A lot of Epcot is currently under construction so aside from enjoying the Seas with Nemo & Friends, Soarin’ and the World Showcase we didn’t see much of the park. However, the World Showcase has always been my favorite part of Epcot. Each country has amazing food, speciality drinks, entertainment, cultural experiences, customized shops and possibly a few Disney character. We dined both in Italy and France (definitely secure advance reservations) for dinner…the kids preferring Via Napoli in Italy for the pizza and spaghetti and maybe France for the post-dinner glacee.

There are limited rides within The World Showcase aside from Frozen Ever After in Norway and the Gran Fiesta tour featuring Three Caballeros in Mexcio. We didn’t have a chance to spend time in Mexico but Frozen Ever After was a huge hit with our kids. I would try and secure a Fast Pass for this ride unless you sneak in close to park close (and during the fireworks) which we did and the kids were able to ride it twice in a row with virtually no wait. A Ratatouille themed ride will be opening in France during the summer of 2020 similar to the one available in Disneyland Paris. Aside from spending a bit of time in Norway because of course, we had to meet Anna and Elsa at the Royal Sommerhus the kids also loved the trains in Germany.

Epcot also has a popular fireworks show called Epcot Forever complete with jet skis and special effects displayed on the World Showcase Lagoon each night that is worth a viewing. On our next visit I hope we can spend more time in the World Showcase collecting stamps in our World Showcase Passports, sampling more foods and visiting the Kidcot activity centers.

Hollywood Studios - I have vivid memories of this park as a kid especially of an Aladdin parade and the Indiana Jones Stunt show as a kid. It’s still one of my favorite parks and seems to be everyone else’s too with the addition of Toy Story Land and Galaxy’s Edge so be prepared for crowds.

Fast Passes were the hardest to secure in this park because you could essentially one ride and the rest of the options were all shows. This is changing in late Feb/early March 2020 so this should make it easier to score some passes on the popular rides including the soon to open Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway.

The kids all loved Toy Story Land. The scale of everything is so playful and while we never made it onto Slinky Dog Dash (biggest bummer of the trip) we did hit up the Alien Saucers and Toy Story Mania twice. IMHO Toy Story Mania far exceeds the Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin in Magic Kingdom! The older kids also loved Star Tours and Lighting McQueen’s Racing Academy. There are also a lot of 25 minute shows to watch throughout the park such as re-enactments of Little Mermaid, Beauty & the Beast and Frozen as well as a Disney Jr Dance Party and the Indiana Jones stunt show which are really popular and allow for a few minutes off your feet.

Sunset Boulevard was one of favorite strips of the park as it offered plentiful outdoor seating and a plethora of quick service restaurants all in a setting reminiscent of California. Of course, the frozen margaritas available on the boulevard could have swayed my logic but seriously, this is a great place to dine as it’s less crowded than Galaxy’s Edge and Toy Story Land.

As for Galaxy’s Edge…it exceeded expectations. While we didn’t ride the Millennium Falcon we did secure boarding passes to Ride of the Resistance (on our 2nd day of trying) and it was pretty incredible. My husband loves Star Wars and the older two kids are starting to get into it so I know on our next visit I will have to spend time trying to secure reservations at Olga’s Cantina and the Droid Depot. But for this trip it felt like a huge coup to get boarding passes for Rise of the Resistance as you have to be in the park and on the app at park opening in order to secure and only a select number are available daily. It’s certainly worth it just plan to wake up early and be through the gates prior to park opening.

Animal Kingdom - This was my first time visiting Animal Kingdom and it far exceeded my expectations. This park is beautiful and all sections of lands of the parks are linked through Discovery Island which showcases the stunning Tree of Life. The Tree of Life features 325 carvings of existing and extinct animal species…I’m not sure we even came close to finding 20 but we gave it a shot!

If your kids love nature and animals I’d recommend grabbing Wilderness Explorers’ guide books soon after entering the park. We did this near the Tree of Life and throughout the park there are locations in which kids can learn something and can collect badges. Guests may recognize that Wilderness Explorers originated in the Disney Pixar movie Up!

Unfortunately, we spent the least amount of time in this park. It’s most popular attraction is probably Pandora - the Wold of Avatar and the Na’vi River Journey which we skipped as fast passes were impossible to come by and my kids aren’t yet aware of Pandora. We did however, spend a decent time in Africa at the Festival of the Lion King and on a Kilimanjaro Safari. Both were really well received and great for all ages. I’d recommend securing a fast past for the Safari as it is very popular. The tour guides are amazing and we saw almost every animal on our list…the jeeps are a bit bumpy but altogether quite comfortable.

My biggest mistake at Animal Kingdom and probably of all fast pass bookings was Expedition Everest. My kids were quite excited for this roller coaster before riding but absolutely hated it. I think perhaps if Lucy and George had been a bit older they would have liked it but it’s certainly more aggressive than their favorite Seven Dwarfs Mine Train with it’s speeds, backwards movements and intimidating Yeti. So that was a learning experience.

We did spend a little bit of time in Dino Land U.S.A. which has rides appropriate for younger kids and is chock full of character meet and greet locations. Had we not had a fast pass across the park in Africa we would have spent more time in this section. We didn’t spend time eating in Animal Kingdom as the pool and naps were calling our names but Flame Tree Barbecue and Jiko are both supposed to be some of the best places to dine in the park.

Disney Springs - We didn’t have a chance to visit Disney Springs on this trip but I think if we took a day off from park hopping this is where we would end up for dinner. It’s essentially an outdoor mall with restaurants, a movie theater, Disney merchandise shops as well as Lego and others. The NBA Experience is located here as well as a couple of restaurants that would be on the top of my list: Frontera Cocina, Wine Bar George and Chef Art Smiths’ Homecomin’.

A compilation fo Katestake.com Disney Posts:

• We’re Going to Disney World

• Disney or Bust! - A Packing Guide

• Walt Disney World Guide

• Walt Disney World Park Review

The Disney World Guide

Just returned from our first family trip to Disney World and while I can’t claim to be a Disney expert I do know that there can be a steep learning curve in planning for such a trip. I read a lot of online articles, books and talked with friends and family members and made quite a few calls to the Disney team…despite all this I still learned quite a few tips while we were there and wanted to share them here. Read on for my TAKE on planning for a trip to Disney World with small children.

How Old Should My Kids Be? - Our kids are 8, 5 and 2.5 the youngest according to Disney is still considered an infant and therefore, we did not have to buy her park passes. This, along with the fact that some of my family would be in town for a conference and would be able to provide some help with the kids was a huge draw for us. Despite being 2.5 our youngest is actually quite tall so she could still go on many rides, loved interacting with the characters and thankfully, took a nap in her stroller every day. However, if you are traveling with multiple kids and don’t have the benefit of extra hands I would probably have waited until she was potty trained and at least a year older. The 8 and 5 year old were at pretty fun ages to experience Disney with and I think they will remember it! We brought our own stroller (our fave) but rentals are available in all the parks. It was very convenient to have one as even the big kids wanted to sit down sometimes too. Many families also attached their name and phone number to their strollers kind of like a luggage tag to aid in recognition. There are ample dedicated stroller parking spots all around the parks but don’t be surprised if it’s not always where you left it as Disney Cast Members occasionally rearrange to create more space!

What Time Of Year To Travel? - This of course, is a personal choice for everyone. The winter is an obvious choice those of us who live in parts of the world where the temperature can dip below zero and the sun is rarely seen. I don’t love really hot and humid weather so late January/early Feb was the perfect time of year for me. The kids were rarely sweaty running around the parks and while it was cooler in the morning and evenings we had some days tip 80+ degrees making it warm enough to spend some time at the hotel pool. This is a slower time in the parks too (still crowded but much better than peak season) but this may also mean that the parks are using this time to refurbish some rides. For example, Splash Mountain (Magic Kingdom), Test Track (Epcot) and Kali River Rapids (Animal Kingdom) were all closed while we were there but there was still so much to do! My only other recommendation would be to plan your vacation at least 7 months in advance ( I think we started 9 months before) to have your pick of accommodations and dining etc…

Stay On Property - The amount of land Walt Disney World owns is quite expansive around the parks and staying on property certainly helps to make the experience more magical for the kids. There are a variety of hotel locations, amenities and pricing options both by those run by Disney and some run by Marriott and the Four Seasons. Plan according to your budget and proximity to the parks in which you think you will spend the most time in. We stayed at the Grand Floridian which was perfect based on it’s proximity to the Magic Kingdom and the Monorail. The staff or Cast Members as they are called are extremely helpful and efficient at all the hotels and are more than willing to hand out 1st Visit buttons to the kids or coloring books etc…anything to make a child smile. I also want to caution that some hotels have been upgraded more recently than others so while you may be spending a fortune it most likely is not going to be the nicest resort you’ve ever stayed at but the location will be worth the premium.

Airport Transportation - We flew to Orlando and from the airport as we were staying on property took Mickey’s Magical Express. This is a complimentary charter bus offered to resort guests. I was hesitant to take this at first but it was really convenient and regardless of how you travel to the parks from the airport, travel time is always approximately 45 minutes - 1 hour. The bus has televisions playing cartoons and promotions for the parks so my kids were thoroughly entertained. If you secure your seats on Disney’s Magical Express in advance they will send you luggage tags and handlers will grab your bags and send them directly to your resort from the airport. Not dealing with checked luggage in the airport is a major win for this family of five…unfortunately, I did not plan that far in advance but we were able to bring our luggage to the bus and transport to our hotel, just fine.

Transportation between Parks - There isn’t really a need for a car within the Disney property as there are a plethora of complimentary Disney transportation offerings: Monorail, Bus, Skyliner, Boat etc… Do plan for extra time when traveling between parks as there are times when things will run smoothly and there will be times when you wait for a bus for thirty minutes. Depending on where you stay your preferred method of travel will change based on your destination and don’t hesitate to ask a Cast Member. For example: if we wanted to go from the Grand Floridian to the Magic Kingdom the preferred method is the Monorail on the way there and a boat on the way home. Too bad we didn’t learn about the boat being faster route on the way home until the last day…we could have avoided a few late nights on the Monorail. The point being…just ask when you arrive! Some parks like Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios required us to a take a bus that runs continuously to and from your resort with travel times updated in the Disney World app regularly. For the most part the buses ran smoothly and were very clean but if you are trying to get to Hollywood Studios before it opens in order to get a Star Wars boarding pass or are running late for a fast pass time at Animal Kingdom my advice would be to order a Lyft. We did this a number of times especially when we were tight on time or the kids were exhausted and it was worth it!

Magic Bands - The Magic Bands are linked to your ticket purchase and will offer you entry into all the parks. Complimentary bands (basic color only) are available if you are staying in a Disney property and are mailed to your home about a month before your trip begins. If you’d like to receive your bands earlier than 30 days out (as I did to include in our Christmas surprise) you can opt to purchase one of the custom designs and the bands will be sent within a week. The designs vary greatly by week and only a select few are offered on the Disney site at at time but many additional designs are available in the parks. We opted to buy character bands for the kids and selected the basic options for ourselves. All of the bands can be adjusted to fit a child’s wrist and couldn’t be easier to use. At check in you may opt to tie a credit card to the band for incidentals and can use it all over the parks to pay for food and merchandise.

Opt for Park Hopper Tickets - I knew we would want to hit up all four of the parks and I also wanted the most flexibility so we went with the Park Hopper option and 3/5 days hit up two parks i.e. one in the morning and one in the evening. Originally, I was only going to purchase 4 days of park tickets but adding a 5th day was a no-brainer as the fee was incredibly nominal and it would allow us more flexibility especially as we had an evening flight on our last day. Basically, I knew I was going to be super intense about trying to get to everything on our wish list and adding the 5th day would help me relax…making it all the more enjoyable for my family. There are also other ticketed events that may be available during your stay either in the early morning and/or evening hours. For an additional fee you can ride all the rides with lower wait times and the ticket price usually includes some food/beverage options. If your kids are a bit older than mine and they love to ride ALL the rides I think this is a great option - and will highly consider it for our next visit. VIP experiences are also offered based on availability and while more costly they do afford you to make the most of limited time at the parks.

Fast Pass Tips - With your park ticket you’re allotted 3 fast passes per day. These are split into two tiers as in some rides are tier a and you can book one of those rides and some are tier b and you can book two of them. Once ALL fast passes have been used in a day you have the option to book an additional pass (even in a different park if you have a Park Hopper ticket). Fast passes can be booked 60 days in advance for resort guests and 30 days in advance for non resort guests. The passes become available as of 7am EST and if you are booking these yourself - be sure to be online as some passes go fast! Before booking, I recommend looking up park hours for your stay and making a list of rides/experiences that you would like to have in each park and reference when booking the passes. I booked all passes before we let the kids know about the trip but if they had been a part of the planning this book would have been a key factor in their ride prioritization. A good tip is to book your passes as close together as possible either in the morning or afternoon/evening. The rule of thumb being that maybe you think wait times will be shorter in the morning so you hold off until the afternoon for fast passes or if your passes are in the morning maybe you think that you’ll be able to add a fourth pass. We were able to book a fourth pass a few times but never got into the top tier rides when doing this. I also had a lot of issues with the Disney World app when trying to secure a fourth pass.…it honestly, only worked once for me and the other times I had to resort to my laptop which I didn’t always have access to. If this happens there are Fast Pass kiosks throughout the parks or the Guest Experience reps are located at stands with blue umbrellas in all the parks. I should have visited the Guest Experience team and shared about my app issue…perhaps I would have gotten that illusive Slinky Dog fast pass after all!

Fast Passes can always be changed or cancelled…I changed an entire day’s plans while were in Orlando to accommodate spending more time at Hollywood Studios and was pleasantly surprised at availability. Thankfully, the changes were worth it as we ended securing boarding passes for Rise of the Resistance that day!

Extra Magic Hours vs. Rope Drop - If you are staying at a Disney property you will be able to take advantage of Extra Magic Hours which means that one of the four parks either will open early or stay open late each day. In theory, this sounds like a great benefit but there are a lot of Disney hotels and only part of the parks will be open during this time, which actually means that the park will be quite crowded at this time. For example, when Magic Kingdom opens an hour early they may only have Fantasyland open. Additionally, those guests who have not purchased a Park Hopper ticket but are staying on property will often take advantage of the early morning Magic Hours making the park even more crowded. I’m not saying don’t take advantage of them just trying to set expectations.

Aside from the Magic Hours taking advantage of Rope Drop is a strategy that insiders will recommend. We did this both at Magic Kingdom and at Hollywood Studios but it will work at any park. For example, if Magic Kingdom opens at 9am, you can enter the through the gates and hang out on Main Street 20-30 minutes before or even 10 minutes before. At park opening there will be an announcement (fireworks at Cinderella’s Castle in Magic Kingdom) and you can make your way to your rides of choice. Generally, if you want to be a bit more aggressive to avoid those long lines you can even stand in front of the street that leads to Fantasyland, Tomorrowland etc…and the Cast Members will literally drop a rope and you can quickly head to your rides of choice. Best to do this for rides that you do not have Fast Passes for and when we did this in Magic Kingdom we quickly got on a few rides that were on our wish list.

Dining Reservations + Other Food Tips - This is a big topic so before we talk dining you should know that Disney does offer a variety of Dining plans but we did not opt for one. I truly didn’t do a ton of cost analysis here rather the decision was made based on feedback from prior guests. For most restaurants aside from the quick service venues, reservations can be made 180 days prior to your trip (and for the duration of your trip) if you are staying at a Disney property. I highly recommend securing these the first day they become available as they go fast and I found it easiest to book these via my laptop. 6 months prior to our trip I booked one sit down meal per day thinking that would be about the max my kids could handle. These were primarily dinner reservations in Epcot aside from a character dining breakfast at our hotel. For all other meals I figured my kids and their limited palette would be more than pleased with the quick service kids meals and I wasn’t necessarily going to Disney for their fine dining so this would suffice for the adults too. Note that alcohol is not available in all the parks unless you are at a sit down restaurant.

In hindisght, I stand by the one sit down meal a day for my family…even if that was often a struggle at night I think the grown ups appreciated a chance to sit and eat something other than chicken nuggets. When making these reservations you kind of need to plan for what parks you think you will be in on those specific days and if you don’t know where you will be securing a reservation at your hotel is always another option. One day we had brunch at our hotel with characters and it allowed us to sleep in and not rush out the door which was a welcome change.

Important to note that reservations can be cancelled up to 48 hours in advance to avoid a fee and within 24 hours I’ve heard they will waive fees if you have a sick child. Most guests at the parks are families with children and kids are unpredictable so plans will need to change. I was pleasantly surprised that many restaurant reservations did open up and I was able book two more via the app once we arrived just be wary that they may not be at the most child friendly times.

For those times that we ate at quick service restaurant…using the Mobile Order service through the app was 100% the way to go. You can look at the all the quick service menus on the app, decide which restaurant to use and place your order while you’re waiting in a ride line. Then once, you arrive at the restaurant you can update your order to say that you’re there and your order will be prepared in a matter of minutes. This service ran smoothly for us and is a life saver when you have hangry kids and an even hangrier husband!

You can bring in food to the parks (literally saw families with Amazon Fresh orders come direct to their hotels) and we brought in snacks everyday along with refillable water bottles. We should have packed water bottles for the adults as you can fill up the bottles at all restaurants but at least we were halfway prepared. The kids weren’t totally deprived of Disney snacks either…they did get ice cream, Mickey Mouse pretzels, lollipops and popcorn! We all love popcorn and the popcorn at the parks is delicious! Plus they sell buckets with $2 refills for the duration of your stay so it might just be the most cost effective thing you can purchase at the parks. It’s safe to say that we can all lay off the popcorn for a while. Just know that while the food can be pricey there are ways to mitigate some of the costs.

Buy the Memory Maker Photo Pass - If you cherish photos as I do this purchase will be worth the price and is less expensive if purchased in advance. In all the parks there are photographers that are situated in key locations and it’s easy enough to get a family photo taken with a Disney character or in front of Cinderella’s Castle or the Millennium Falcon by waiting in a short line. The photos are good quality and Disney photographers then associate your photos with your Magic Band and the photos will appear in the MyDisney Experience app. If you opt to pay for the Memory Maker all the photos are available for you to download within 30 days. Along with my own photos I aim to use the photos in the app to make a Disney World photo album for the kids - it might be the only album I’ve ever made for them! It’s important to note that you can have photos taken without the Memory Maker photo pass and they will also be available to download if purchased individually.

Wardrobe Thoughts - The weather was all over the place for us when we were there. Mostly sunny but we had rain one day and some mornings and evenings were quite chilly whereas, the afternoons were pleasantly warm. So if I have any consistent wardrobe advice it would be to wear layers, clothes with pockets as you will want easy access to your phone and comfortable shoes. If traveling in the winter the girls and I wore these Dudley Stephens fleeces (mine/girls/toddler) along with a classic jean jacket which was the perfect amount of warmth for us provided we could strip down to our t-shirt when the sun was high! For our rainy day we ended up buying ponchos at the park but in hindsight, it would have been better for some of us to bring our own raincoats and to order a handful of ponchos online. The poncho is actually a great option at the parks because if you’re carrying a backpack or purse it will be covered and if you have a stroller you can drape the poncho over the stroller to limit some of the water it will accumulate while you’re on a ride. At night despite the fact that the parks are well lit, it still gets pretty dark and some families brought glow stick necklaces which I thought to be a brilliant idea. Also when packing don’t be shy about bringing some Mickey gear - everyone’s doing it! You can read more about what we packed here. Not mentioned but very important is the fact that the resorts all have laundry services available for a fee…I did two loads while we were there and our clothes would have never survived if I hadn’t brought an OxiClean gel stick.

Disney Characters - One of my favorite things as a kid was collecting autographs from all of the Disney characters. So on our first morning we made sure to grab autograph books and pens before we got on the monorail. Characters don’t often just roam around the parks but there are many meet-and-greets available and if you’re kids are into the characters there are numerous Character Dining options available (Cinderella’s Castle was quite the experience!). Each character is more than willing to take photos and sign autographs (if their costume allows) and my favorite part is that each signature is different. You can purchase autograph books online before you arrive or I even saw some people using a blank photo mat to collect signatures (with colored clickable Sharpies) that they will later frame with a photo from their trip.

Things I Would Do Differently - Thankfully, not much it was a really fun trip but it was exhausting. So if we had, had more time…maybe one more day I would have planned a day to enjoy our resort and just hang out at the pool or take advantage of the activities they offer like an outdoor movie night. Ideally, this day of relaxation would have been smack dab in the middle of the trip instead we just took a couple of afternoons to do this and it was all a bit rushed.

If you’ve made it this far…thank you for reading my novel. I’m sure I’ve already forgotten a handful of things but there is just so much one can know about their first trip to Disney World. Hopefully these tips make the planning a little easier and the trip all the more enjoyable. If you’re ready to start your planning your trip head to DisneyWorld.com and make sure to check out the MyDisneyExperience section of the website and download the app. Cast Members are incredibly helpful over the phone too just be wary of the wait times and if doing this all yourself isn’t your thing there are plenty of travel agents associated with Disney that can assist for limited fees (if any). My kids and I are already counting down the days (maybe years) until our next visit!

A compilation fo Katestake.com Disney Posts:

• We’re Going to Disney World

• Disney or Bust! - A Packing Guide

• Walt Disney World Guide

• Walt Disney World Park Review

***Affiliate links are present in this blog post***

The Greenbrier Guide

Last week at this time we were checking into The Greenbrier, in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. The Greenbrier was a two night pit stop on our drive back to Chicago from North Carolina and was a perfect place to recharge our batteries before the remainder of our drive and of course, settling back into reality. The Greenbrier was introduced to me a few years ago by a dear friend in DC but the closest comparison in the Midwest that I can come up with is The Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island in Michigan.

The Greenbrier has quite a storied history dating back to 1778, some of which I was aware of and some of which we learned about while we were there. It’s original draw were the sulphur springs in the area, but it at one time served as a hospital, was famously decorated by Dorothy Draper and even houses a bunker that was part of the top secret nuclear fall out plan for Congress. It’s no wonder that this 11,000 acre resort, one of the oldest in the country, continues to attract visitors - it has a knack for reinventing itself! Nowadays, I believe the draw has something to do with its spectacular Allegheny Valley setting, the golf courses, nostalgia and it’s plethora of amenities.

Read on for my TAKE on a Greenbrier travel guide as I attempt to break down all the Greenbrier has to offer.

When to travel

The Greenbrier would be beautiful at any time of year but we went in early August. Thanks to I’m sure a large landscaping staff everything was in bloom, green and well manicured. The weather was perfect…cooler in the morning and evenings due to the mountain valley location and with little to no humidity! A stark difference from our time earlier in the week on the North Carolina coast.

How to get there

As stated before we stayed at the Greenbrier on our road trip back to Chicago from North Carolina. White Sulphur Spring is just past the Virginia border into West Virginia. It was an almost 7 hour drive from the coast but the drive through the Blue Ridge Mountains was quite beautiful and luckily the winding roads didn’t prove to be to extreme. Aside from traveling by car there is an Amtrak railroad station (White Sulphur Springs) directly across from the resort and the nearest airport is Greenbrier Valley Airport which surprisingly has direct fights on SkyWest from Chicago and not so surprisingly Dulles airport.

Where to stay

Perhaps I should rephrase this as to “where to stay” at the resort because there are options a plenty. The hotel itself is enormous (perhaps the largest in the States) and has multiple room options. In addition, on the resort property there are multiple types of cottages that can be rented. Despite not being directly in the hotel the majority of the cottage options are conveniently located. We stayed in a “Spring Row” cottage which is the smallest cottage offering but has a large Master bedroom plus a generous bathroom, dressing area and a sitting room with a pull out couch. This was perfect for our troop as our youngest is still in a crib. The kids honestly, slept so well here sleeping in till about 7:45am each morning which never happens at home! Aside, from the most adorable decor our favorite aspect to the cottage was the front porch where we could sit have a cocktail and watch the horse drawn carriage trot past us on their tour route. If coming in a cooler month the cottages do have a fireplace and come stocked with fire wood which would make for quite the cozy getaway.

What to do

There is so much to do at the resort that I’m afraid we didn’t even scratch the surface in our two days there. There is a daily schedule delivered to your room that was most helpful. Our priorities were swimming at the outdoor infinity pool and playing a round of golf but we made time for exploring the grounds, playing at the playground, checking out a few shops, croquet, the bowling alley and video arcade as well as catching an evening film in the resort cinema. If we had spent more time and the kids were a bit older I’d love to send them to one of the tennis or golf programs, take a tour of the bunker, rent bikes for a day and perhaps find some time for myself at the spa. The resort is also known for its tea service, fly fishing and falconry amenities in addition to its resort casino. The concierges can help schedule anything before or during your stay and pricing varies per activity.

What to pack

Traditionally, The Greenbrier has had a dress code of sorts which seems to have relaxed in recent years to what is known today as resort attire, but I still used it as an excuse to dress the kids up in some of their nicer attire. However, swim cover ups and Jackets for men (at dinner) are still some of the mainstays as well as no workout attire or pajamas in the dining room for breakfast continue to remain part of the culture. I love to go on vacation and dress up for the evening meal and at The Greenbrier, dresses are quite popular for women which gave me an excuse to leave my white jeans at home! Dinner can be quite the occasion at The Greenbrier and they even offer family photography on a nightly basis. Shockingly, we never took advantage of this as I felt like we were already pushing the envelope with our late meal times and the daily pictures I subjected them to.

Where to eat

There are 33 restaurants on the property and we only visited five of them. Like I said, we didn’t even scratch the surface of what The Greenbrier has to offer. However, the main dining room is an experience not to be missed for it’s decor and service alone. We went on Sunday morning and splurged on the buffet because our kids tend to consume the majority of their calories at breakfast. The buffet also worked in our favor as there was no waiting for food to arrive so no one was hangry aka the kids were well behaved during the meal. Other favorites were Drapers for the decor, ice cream and a laid back dinner. This place would be perfect before or after a set of bowling too! However, as the weather was beautiful we spent much of our time at the outdoor pool and dining at Tree Tops Cafe which offers both restaurant and pool side service and serves the kids meals in a plastic sand bucket! If traveling with kids and a sit down meal is just not going to happen (especially after a long day) The Forum restaurant delivers pizzas in an adorable blue and white gingham Volkswagen bug!

Want to learn more?

If you’re interested in traveling to the area but first want to learn more about the history and historical significance of The Greenbrier, I’ve found the following books:

The History of the Greenbrier: America’s Resort

The Greenbrier Cookbook: Favorite Recipes from America’s Resort

In the Pink: Dorothy Draper -- America’s Most Fabulous Decorator

I’d certainly love to come back someday when the kids are a bit older and take advantage of the golf and tennis programs as well as some more dining options. I mean another excuse to dress my kids up and perhaps stuff George into a navy blazer…yes please! As for our next little excursion post our annual North Carolina trip, well…I have my heart set on Colonial Williamsburg.

30A Travel Guide - Part One

We returned from Florida’s Emerald Coast nearly a week ago and we’re already itching to go back. I’ve been traveling to Florida’s panhandle for 28 years and I loved it ever since my first visit. It’s truly one of my favorite spots and I’m so pleased that my husband and children love it too! There are so many vacation destinations along 30A (the scenic highway that hugs the Gulf of Mexico) perfect for families that I thought I would write a blog post and share some of my TAKE on this beautiful area of Florida.

30A is on the panhandle of Florida, positioned between Santa Rosa Beach and Inlet Beach or more broadly Destin and Panama City. It isn’t at all like the Florida you may have grown up with i.e. in my case high rise condominiums, Disney, palm trees, snow birds and shell filled beaches. 30A is full of white sugar sand beaches, sand dunes, cottages, evergreen trees and families. It’s a lot cooler than Southern Florida but I love weather that requires evening layers, yet is still swimsuit appropriate in the afternoons.

My parents discovered 30A after reading about Seaside, Florida in what I believe was Architecture Digest in the early 90’s. Seaside was designed by a group of architects with new urbanism at it’s core. It’s essentially, a small town with a town center full of shops, restaurants an ampitheater and a beloved market. There are brick paved streets full of pickett fences, sandy side streets and architecturally intriguing cottages with fun names like: Green Gables, Caribbean, Bonne Dunne, Savannah Rose etc… Each main street leads to a pavilion welcoming you to one of the loveliest beaches in the States. To be sure, Seaside is idyllic so much so that it was used as the backdrop for the movie, The Truman Show. It’s quaint and evokes a sense of community that I didn’t have growing up. I think the community aspect of Seaside is the key to it’s success and is probably why we fell in love with it. Growing up on a local highway in Wisconsin, we weren’t able to walk or bike into a town square, let alone cross the street by ourselves and the freedom to do that in Seaside paired with sunshine, beautiful beaches and a neighborhood pool was like heaven.

When we first came to 30A, Seaside was the only community on the coast. While the plans for the community were almost laid out in entirety Seaside was less than half of what it is today and still had it’s quintessential water tower. The site for Rosemary Beach was established a few years later and Watercolor and Alys Beach would soon follow and one could say, the rest is history. 30A has grown exponentially in recent years…there are more communities and with that more restaurants, shops, people and essentially options. Seaside, was the original and for that reason will probably always be my favorite but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t options out there that may be a better fit for your family or even mine! As a point of caution, be prepared for some sort of construction in almost every community along 30A. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing as I love to check out the new development whether homes, restaurants, shops etc… but it’s certainly something to be aware of when traveling to the area.

Stay tuned for my post next week “30A Travel Guide - Part Two”, where I’ll share my TAKE on where to stay, dine, shop along 30A, what to pack and the best ways to travel there based on my personal experiences over the past 28 years!

If you’re interested in reading more about the area here are some excellent references:

• SEASIDE

• 30A Living

• Rosemary Beach

• The 30 A Coloring Book

Nashville Guide

We recently got back from a road trip to Nashville, Tennessee. I’ve been wanting to go for the last couple of years and we finally found the time to make it happen. Nashville is about a 7.5 hour drive from Chicago which makes it feasible in a day even with three kids along for the ride. It helps that our kids are pretty well versed on road trips thanks to some of these essentials. Despite a couple of incidents with very tired kids, we a wonderful time and Nashville far exceeded our expectations. Certainly, the Spring like weather (30 degrees warmer than Chicago) contributed to our experience but Nashville is such a creative and lively city - we can’t wait to go back! I’m sharing our itinerary below plus some things that we are saving for our next visit. So grab some sweet tea and enjoy my TAKE on a travel guide to Nashville, Tennessee!

Day One

We had a late start in Chicago and hit some Spring Break traffic so our first day was solely for travel. Luckily, we easily checked into the Omni Hotel Nashville and the kids were beyond thrilled to be greeted with milk and cookies. Not the best thing right before bed, but a lovely surprise. I selected the hotel based on location and for their roof top pool and we definitely had a great experience. While exploring the city I came across the Union Station Hotel and Bode which also look very promising. Bode especially would be great for a girls trip or with a large family as you can book multiple rooms but share communal space.

Day Two

The kids were up at 6am so we were out the door by 8am to make use of the most beautiful day. We stopped at Proper Bagel for breakfast and sampled various cream cheeses on on the best Sesame Seed bagels plus a breakfast sandwich or too. Such a fun spot in the Belmont neighborhood with delicious bagels, schmears, sandwiches, baked donuts, salads, fun treats like fresh Strawberry Pop Tarts and most importantly caffeine!

Then we were off to find a few murals in the neighborhood such as the famous “I Believe in Nashville” mural which is in the 12 South shopping district before heading off the Nashville Zoo at Grassmere. The zoo was a highlight for all of us. It is legitimately, one of the nicest zoos we have ever been to. It is relatively new with clean and engaging exhibits plus a unique array of animals and experiences. For the animal lovers there is a Kangaroo Walkabout where you can pet Kangaroos, adorable Clouded Leopards, a Veterinary Center where you can observe and if you’re into Tigers a new exhibit is opening in April, 2019. For children and big kids alike if you need to burn a little more energy, the zoo has the most amazing jungle gym (66,000 sq feet) I’ve ever seen plus fun activities like rope bridges. We spent four hours at the zoo but could have easily spent more and will definitely stop again on future visits. Pro tip: if you’re stopping at the zoo on the weekend make sure to arrive early to find parking!

Post zoo we drove around for a bit so our youngest could nap and I got to stop in at a couple of children’s stores that I’ve long been a fan of like Magpies Nashville in addition to touring around the gorgeous Belle Meade area. After quick car naps we headed back to the hotel for some downtime and dips in the pool (always a highlight for the kids) before heading back out for a Sunset trip to Centennial Park and a visit to the Parthenon. It was such a beautiful night there were picnics abound and plenty of park goers enjoying their surroundings.

For Dinner Saturday night we went to the famous Hattie B’s Hot Chicken. There are a couple of locations in the city but the Melrose location has a turf area and picnic tables which are great for the kids. Note that when I say “famous” it is and do expect a line but note that it does move fairly quickly and after placing your order seating is plentiful. There are non-hot options but my husband got the Hot Chicken Sandwich and I sampled a few bites paired with their delicious Ranch dipping sauce - it was definitely hot but also kind of addictive.

Day Three

Thankfully, after a very full Saturday the kids slept in a little bit, i.e. 7am - woohoo! As soon as our kids wake up they are asking for food so we went off in pajamas to the Belmont neighborhood (again) to the infamous, Pancake Pantry. We arrived around 8am and avoided lines but they were around the block when we left. The restaurants pancakes and syrup is delicious plus they’re fun kids menu i.e. polka dot pancakes (M&M toppings) were a hit with our pancake lovers!

After breakfast is was back to the hotel for swimming and showers before checking out the Country Music Hall of Fame and Hatch Print Show Shop which were conveniently attached to our hotel. Both tours exceeded our expectations and all offered a bit of history and ended with some interactive play. We got a couple of audio guides at the Country Music Hall of Fame which helped to keep the younger kids engaged as we walked through halls of memorabilia (i.e. costumes, instruments, posters, cars) before we got to more interactive exhibits which they loved. George, especially was a fan of the recording booth. I probably enjoyed the Hatch Print Show tour the most as I love letterpress. The shop has moved over the years but it’s still full of vintage presses , letters and carvings. The tour ended with a review of vintage posters and the ability to create our own print, which the kids loved.

Despite needing a break post tours we powered through and went for a treat of Goo Goo Clusters at the Goo Goo Shop. Branding and clusters are on point in this shop that also offers up scoops of ice cream across the street from the Johnny Cash Museum. After ice cream and clusters we walked the John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge (aka Shelby Street Bridge) across the Cumberland River and enjoyed beautiful views of the city.

Before dinner we finally took some time to rest at the hotel before heading out for BBQ. BBQ restaurants are plentiful in Nashville but we went to Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint in the Belmont neighborhood. There are a few locations in the city but this one was spacious, family friendly and the BBQ and sides were delicious (The broccoli and potato salads were my fave}. Plus they offer moon pies to the kids for dessert and had some of the best crushed ice I’ve ever had!

Day Four

We spent Monday morning packing up before touring Vanderbilt University and answering a zillion questions from the kids about dorm life. After Vanderbilt we quickly stopped at Draper James on 12 S which was packed upon opening and George drank all the sweet tea. If you wanted to grab breakfast in this area Five Daughters Bakery and/or Frothy Monkey are nearby. Five Daughters Bakery is famous for their #100layerdonut and we are familiar with it’s airstream location in Seaside, FL. After the 12S excursion we stopped in the nearby Gulch neighborhood to shop along 21st Ave S before heading to an early lunch of grilled cheese sandwiches and milkshakes at the Grilled Cheeserie. With six speciality melts and the ability to make your own this was a crowd pleasing stop for all and the perfect way to fuel up before we headed back to Chicago.

It’s safe to say that we all had a lovely time in Nashville as there truly is something for everyone. It’s so easy to get around and everyone was more than helpful. We had an extensive to-do list (I had been wanting to go for years) and paired down when needed based on the kids and we’ll just have to return in the future to finish off our wish list!

For Next Time…

Rolf & Daughters and Husk plus a concert at the Ryman are on the list for when we aren’t with the kids but if we are we will most likely be hitting up Biscuit Love for breakfast, visiting Las Paletas for popsicles, the Adventure Science Center to run the kids wild, Robert’s Western World for music (kid friendly during the day) and of course, boots at Boot Country. If I get my wish we’ll also get to play a visit to Arcade Kids which was closed during our visit. If you’re looking for more kid friendly ideas Arcade also has a great Nashville Guide on their site. I’m certainly not a Nashville expert but loved researching for this trip so please share if you’ve been and feel there is something we must do on our next visit!

Charleston City Guide

I recently got back from a girls trip to Charleston, South Carolina. We had hoped for some beach weather but mother nature had something else in mind so we ate, drank and shopped our way through the historic city. If you're hoping to plan a trip in the future please read on my for my TAKE on a Charleston travel guide. Happy trails!

Where to Stay

In planning the trip our goal was to spend time in the city and also relaxing on the beach but as we were traveling in mid May most hotels in the downtown area required a three night stay so we opted for the beach. The four of us stayed on the Isle of Palms in a condo we had rented via VRBO. We all had our own room, bathroom and a beachside location. The only downfall being that it rained on and off every day but we did have decent weather for one walk on the beach! The weather meant that we would spend more time in Charleston thus commuting via Uber/Lyft sometimes 2x a day each way. Next time I visit I plan to stay in the city but I'm so glad I have a better understanding of the surrounding area.

Where to Eat

Dining out is an experience, one that my friends and myself enjoy. The restaurant scene in Charleston has been booming for years so we were excited about eating some delicious food. We did a bit of research beforehand and had our dinner reservations booked well in advance but our lunch/brunch stops were based mostly on word-of-mouth from locals. Our eyes were often bigger than our stomachs so at some restaurants we shared plates or ordered just appetizers as we literally wanted to taste everything. 

• The Obstinate Daughter - Dinner (Sullivan's Island)
  • Loved the decor
  • The Obstinate Flatbread with the Butterbean Puree was amazing
  • I'd eat just about anything with Comeback Sauce
• Acme Lowcountry Kitchen - Breakfast (Isle of Palms)
  • Popular spot on the Isle of Palms
  • Southern classics
• Leon's Oyster Shop - Lunch (Charleston)
  • Funky and trendy decor in a laid back setting
  • Delicious side salads, oysters and fried chicken sandwiches
  • The Rose Slushie is not to be missed!
• FIG - Dinner (Charleston)
  • Our favorite dinner spot; reservations are allowed a month in advance
  • A bit dressier than the other locales we visited
  • The menu changes daily but all was delicious
  • If the Riccota Gnocchi alla Bolognese is on the menu - order it
• Callie's Hot Little Biscuit - Breakfast (Charleston)
  • Popular spot for a quick, fast and filling breakfast
  • We went to the King Street Location
  • I opted for a biscuit sandwich with pimento cheese 
  • Delicious black iced tea with mint
• Raw 167 - Lunch (Charleston)
  • Super popular, delicious but limited seating
  • Reservations aren't taken, put your name in and shop for an hour, come back and order a drink while waiting out the remainder of the line
  • Tuna Poke, Ceviche and the Lobster Roll were are the top of our lists
  • Bonus: the host looks like Jamie Dornan
• Husk - Dinner (Charleston)
  • Charming exterior - the restaurant is set in an old home in the French Quarter
  • To be honest was expecting to love Husk but we were a bit disappointed
  • It's possible we ordered wrong as we focused heavily on appetizers - we were still full from our late lunch
  • Loved the Arugula and Little Gem Salads but wasn't a huge fan of the very popular Pig Ear Lettuce Wraps
• Poogan's Porch - Brunch (Charleston)
  • Located right next to Husk in another charming restored Victorian
  • A longstanding establishment recommended by a number of people
  • Classic comfort food like fried green tomatoes, fried chicken and waffles etc...
  • Oh by the way; Poogan was a dog

Where to Shop

We spent quite a few hours escaping the rain shopping on King Street and I'm afraid we didn't scratch the surface. There was a mix of local and national retailers and we enjoyed success in the shops below and I promise it wasn't all for our kids!

• Sugar Snap Pea - Children's
• Pink Chicken - Children's
• Hampden Clothing - Contemporary Women's
• Copper Penny + Shooz by Copper Penny - Women's & Shoes
• Aillea - Beauty

What to Do

One could walk endlessly exploring the history of Charleston and taking in the charming old homes. I was in heaven. The area South of Broad within the French Quarter was spectacular but literally every home had unique details and the gardening prowess of Charlestonian's was next level. As it was all of our first time in the city we spent most of our time getting the lay of the land, picking up whatever historic tidbits we could and made sure to find some time for relaxation. Next time I'd love to see the city from the water and find that pineapple fountain!

• Historic Charleston Market - This market is in the heart of downtown and has been open since 1804. It has a variety of vendors and the market itself has a unique history and during hurricane season can be found flooded.
• Palmetto Carriage Works - This horse drawn carriage tour was a great way for us to see much more of the city than we could have on foot and provided cover in the rain. There are a lot of tour companies in the city but we were quite pleased with this one and the guides are very knowledgeable. No need to book more than an hour in advance (unless you have a large group) and there are frequent tours throughout the day.
• The Spa at the Dewberry Hotel - We all had the Signature Massage and it was heavenly. Added bonus they put your robe in a warmer for you so post massage you could fold yourself into a warm and cozy robe.