Disney World
Our first trip to Disney World in Florida was for a family reunion with Tom’s family. Grandma Dottie wanted us all to go to Disney and I can’t think of a better first time visit for Logan than to be surrounded by family. We spent a week at Disney in March. It was an amazing and memory-filled trip.
We flew Delta from Virginia to Orlando. Since we were staying at a Disney hotel, there was a shuttle to take us to our hotel from the airport. We stayed inside the park at Epcot at the Caribbean Beach Resort. This resort was amazing! We were steps away from the shuttle stop to take us to the parks, plus the resort itself had everything we could want. The Caribbean has its own water park so Logan spent some time there.
The Caribbean Resort also had several restaurants on-site. The Centertown Market was so convenient and we ate breakfast there every morning. We also ate dinner at the resort’s on-site restaurant, Sebastian’s Bistro. The food was great and the patio offered a great view of the resort.
Logan’s favorite thing was the Star Tour 3D at Hollywood Studios. He also enjoyed the meet-and-play experience with Phineas and Ferb at Hollywood Studios.
We spent most of our time at Magic Kingdom. We did The Haunted Mansion and Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin.
At Magic Kingdom, we rode race cars at the Tomorrowland Speedway. When I went to Disney as a kid, it was my favorite ride. Back then it was called the Grand Prix Raceway and the name changed to Tomorrowland Speedway in 2008.
Grandma Dottie got us reservations for lunch at Crystal Palace located in Magic Kingdom. At Crystal Palace, Winnie the Pooh and friends from the Hundred-Acre Wood stop by for photos and autographs. We bought Logan a Disney autograph book for the occasion. You must have reservations for Crystal Palace and, unfortunately, our reservation was lost by the restaurant. They found us a table anyway and comped us a private location to watch the Electric Light Parade.
We spent one day at Blizzard Beach, which also made Logan’s list of favorite things to do at Disney. Water parks are a must when we travel.
One of our favorite restaurants to visit when we’re in Orlando is T-Rex Cafe. We love the animatronic dinosaurs and meteor showers. Logan loves the gigantic icee!
A must see at Disney is the daily parade at Magic Kingdom. The Disney Festival of Fantasy Parade takes place on Main Street at 3:00 every day. It was easy to find a spot to sit where we were close and could see everything.
Another must see is the Main Street Electrical Parade. I don’t think this parade is currently running, but I think it’s being replaced with a new light parade. Because of the mix-up with our Crystal Palace reservations, our family was given a private area to watch the Electrical Parade. It was amazing!
The fireworks show was directly following the parade and was spectacular! A new fireworks show called Happily Ever After is returning in April 2023.
Suggestions
We have stayed both in and out of the park when visiting Disney and staying at a resort inside the park is by far the better option. The resorts are phenomenal and they make it super easy to get to and from any of the parks. We also really enjoyed having on-site restaurants and other amenities.
We bought a Fast Pass each day we were at the park for around $15 per day that allows you to make reservations for rides, shows, and attractions. At the time of your reservation, you go directly to the front of the line. After Covid, the Fast Pass became the Disney Genie and it is definitely worth purchasing. It saves a ton of time that you would have spent standing in long lines.
If it’s your first time at Disney World or you are celebrating a family reunion, Disney will give you a pin to wear. If you are staying at a Disney World Resort Hotel, you can pick one up at the Front Desk in your hotel lobby. If you’re not staying at a Disney Resort, you can stop by Guest Relations in any of the parks and they’ll give you one.
In loving memory of Grandma Dottie…
