Getting to Disney – Quick and Easy

Fresh off our first trip to Walt Disney World, and I am still washing glitter out of my daughter’s hair. We spent three days in at the Orlando park, and it was every bit as magical as I could have ever imagined.

Now, here’s the story behind the magic: The trip was booked just six short weeks ago. I did all of the planning (or lack of) myself. We dubbed this trip a “dabble of Disney” because we spent only three days at the parks. It was quick, easy, and the only way I would want to do a family trip to Disney World.  

I had never been to a Disney park before. It seemed like a daunting trip from planning attractions, figuring out which dining plan to choose, and comparing hotel resorts. It is so much to accomplish before you even get to put on your mouse ears. There is way too much to information to consume and decisions to make for this mama, so I just didn’t do it.

Make a Disney Mission

Instead of diving into the hours of research or hiring a travel guide, we simply picked something we wanted to focus on during our trip. For our family celebrating an almost-four-year-old, it was seeing as many princesses as possible. By having a specific goal in mind, we were able to prioritize attractions and rides. It is also how we used our Fastpasses. If it was something we definitely wanted to see or do, then we built our schedule around the available park Fastpasses. Anything else we managed to do would be at our own pace and an added bonus.  

Side note: it makes a huge difference to head to the parks when crowd levels are low. There is great availability on Fastpasses and dining reservations. There are also short lines for many of the rides.

Sprinkle in the Magic

Since our trip was short, I knew I wanted to squeeze in as much magic as possible. The night before we left, princess pajamas and a note from the Disney princesses was delivered to our house. Translation: I picked up some shiny pajamas and fancy box from Target, printed off a picture of the Disney princesses, wrote a quick note, and left it all on the kitchen table. It was a fun way to begin our “Dabble of Disney” before we even boarded the plane. 

Once at the park, we also splurged on a couple special attractions. Each day was filled with great surprises by nature of what happens in the parks, but I wanted to have something extra special up my sleeve because moms are magical, too.

Our visit wasn’t jam-packed, instead it included strategic choices to guide our day with magic sprinkled in along the way.

Let It Go

Channeling Elsa, there was so much I just had to let go for our quick and easy Disney trip. Walt Disney World is massive, as in approximately the size of San Francisco. There was no way we would ever be to see and do all the things. I had to be okay with seeing a tiny fraction of some of the parks. We simply did not have the time or energy. The ground we did manage to cover was spectacular and perfect for our little family. I guess we will just have to go back for another round!


Make sure you never miss out on things to do in Wichita: subscribe to our weekly Wichita Moms Blog newsletter! Be the first to know about our exclusive events, special offers and discounts, neighborhood group activities and, of course, local resources and parenting voices powered by local Wichita moms!

 
Tomi Dechant
Tomi is a mover, shaker, and baby maker - which means she enjoys a good dance party in the kitchen and is a mom to two monsters of her own creation. Tomi is from Kansas and is currently a Political Science instructor and author of the children's book, How to Make a Monster Smile.