Category: Walt Disney World

What to do with a 2 Year Old Toddler at Walt Disney World - Our long Life

Disney Firsts in 2020

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We took my 2.5 Year Old Son to Disney World in 2020, and even though I have been to Disney World probably 20 times, I always enjoy doing something new.

10 New things to do in Walt Disney World in 2020

Here’s what we did New on this trip!

10 New things I tried on my 2020 Disney Vacation!

My Disney Experience Mobile Ordering!

This actually was combined with another first. We ate at Columbia Harbour House where we ordered from. We went there after waiting in a long line at Gaston’s Tavern for a sandwich only to realize they were cold sandwiches. Only go to Gaston’s for LeFou’s Brew or the hot giant Cinnamon Roll! We enjoyed the mobile Order from Columbia Harbour House! I definitely get tired of so much fried food fast, but that hit the spot!

10 New things to do in Walt Disney World in 2020

Ate at Be Our Guest Restaurant

I would definitely Dinner at Be Our Guest Restaurant. Everything was great, but it is sooo expensive. I am glad we did it, but I am not sure we will go back every time. Fine dining is better at home, but this is probably some of the best food you can find in Magic Kingdom and the Ballroom was beautiful. Now, my son loves the song Be Our Guest and loves talking about how the Beast kissed my hand.

Trader Sam’s Bar at The Polynesian Resort

I have stayed at the Polynesian many times, and I had no idea this hidden gem was here. We only ordered a drink from the outside bar. This would be a great place for adults to have a getaway from the kids. Be prepared to wait outside having drinks if it is a weekend night. The wait was already an hour to get into the bar at 4PM on a Saturday. I had a spiked dole whip and it was a little too sweet for me.

10 New things to do in Walt Disney World in 2020

DVC Rental Room AKA Staying in a Disney Vacation Club Room

We rented a DVC Room from DVC Rental Store and we saved about $1000 on our 5 night stay at the Polynesian! It is STILL a pricey room, but we saved a lot and were on the monorail! The Polynesian had so many amazing amenities for us this trip too! Here’s my blog about DVC Rentals!

Ordering Amazon Prime Now Groceries to the Room

OMG. Bell Services brought up 10 bags of groceries and 3 packs of water to our room. I thought what did I do! But, we ate almost ALL of that food! The big hits were fresh fruit, especially banana, hummus, muffins, and water! Here’s my blog on that experience!

Ordered Togo From Ohana’s Bar

When you have a toddler and you are done for the day, sit near the Ohanas Bar and Order some noodles, dumplings, and Ohanas Bread Pudding! Yum!! It’s way cheaper than Ohanas too!

Enjoyed the Resort Entertainment on the Polynesian Lawn

Feeding off of the last one, sometimes we came back to the room and didn’t leave after a late nap. The Polynesian Resort had Dance parties and movies on the lawn which my son just loved! We did this before watching fireworks from the Polynesian Beach or lawn.

10 New things to do in Walt Disney World in 2020

Swam in the Polynesian Pool and played on the waterplayground

I have swam in their pool before, but it has been a long time. The water playground was perfect for toddlers. My son was scared of the slide, but after he did it one time, he was hooked!

10 New things to do in Walt Disney World in 2020

Walked through Star Wars & Toy Story Land

We didn’t ride anything in either of these lands, but it was great to see the lands we’ve been hearing so much about! These two are definitely making Hollywood Studios a hot park to visit! We didn’t do much in Hollywood Studios. Toy Story land felt crowded and hot, and we didn’t have any fast passes for two hours, but the park is beautiful! I was surprised by some of the lines wrapping around outside of the rides.

10 New things to do in Walt Disney World in 2020

Rode Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

My Mom and I finally got to ride seven dwarfs mine train at the magic kingdom. We had a fast pass to ride it, and it was so fun and well done. It reminded us of Splash Mountain and Big thunder mountain railroad! It was smooth and I think kids would like it too!

Fast Pass Hack Update!

I had posted before about how you can get two fast passes for the roller coasters and use rider swap so that the third person doesn’t need a fastpass, but the more popular rides were cracking down on doing that! Next time I go, I will just get a fastpass for all the adults and not risk my husband not being able to ride!

What to do with a 2 Year Old Toddler at Walt Disney World - Our long Life

Family Photos at Walt Disney World!

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What to do with a 2 Year Old Toddler at Walt Disney World - Our long Life

We just went to Walt Disney World again, and here are a few more photo tips for taking great photos at Walt Disney World! Disney World is a challenging place to take photos! There are people everywhere, and it is each to get sweaty and tired!

Taking Great Photos of your Kids at Walt Disney World!

What to do with a 2 Year Old Toddler at Walt Disney World - Our long Life

Lighting

Morning and Evening (Sunset) Light are the best times of day to photograph. I love getting to the park when it opens and letting my son run around while I take photos! The kids are also less tired in the morning!

What to do with a 2 Year Old Toddler at Walt Disney World - Our long Life

Get off of Main Street!

You can take the default photo on Main street but just know the sun will be in your eyes and there will be a million people all around you. If you can get to the grassy areas closer to the castle or the bridges on the sides of the castle, you will have some great angles with less people!

What to do with a 2 Year Old Toddler at Walt Disney World - Our long Life

Capture Emotions!

The whole reason we come to Disney is to see my son light up when he sees Mickey Mouse or let him have that family bonding time with Daddy that he doesn’t get at home when we all have a million things to do. So, when my son gets super excited is when I really want to capture it, even if the background isn’t perfect and you can’t even tell we are at Disney World!

What to do with a 2 Year Old Toddler at Walt Disney World - Our long Life

Ask Cast Members to use your Camera!

I use to be a little nervous about this, and some cast members make jokes or don’t try as hard to get your kid to smile, but I buy some Disney photos and ask them to take photos with my camera too!

Here’s my first post on taking photos at Disney World from our trip 6 months ago.

I really wanted a photo of my son with his giant mickey stuffed animal or more of him with his Mickey balloon, but it’s a balance of doing things at Disney and taking pictures and not getting too stressed about the photos. I only bring my big camera with me sometimes, so that I can really relax other times! Good luck!

Walt Disney World with a Toddler Family Photo Locations for Great Family Photos at Magic Kingdom
What to do with a 2 Year Old Toddler at Walt Disney World - Our long Life

What my Toddler Loved Most at Walt Disney World!

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What to do with a 2 Year Old at Walt Disney World!

What to do with a 2 Year Old Toddler at Walt Disney World - Our long Life

We just returned home from a trip to Disney with my 2.5 Year Old Son!

All Kids are different, but here’s what my toddler son loved doing the most at Walt Disney World!

What my 2-Year Old Loved Most at Walt Disney World!

What to do with a 2 Year Old Toddler at Walt Disney World - Our long Life

Meeting Disney Characters!

I know some kids are terrified of the characters. I think this is what my son loved the most! A parent still had to hold him, but he loved looking back at photos of him and the characters and talking about who he met!

Walt Disney World with a Toddler Family Photo Locations for Great Family Photos at Magic Kingdom

Outdoor Rides!

He loved rides outside. The indoor rides were all too dark and scary for him (Even Peter Pan and Pooh) He thought Disney Jr. Dance Party was too loud, and he didn’t want to go into Muppets! His favorite is Dumbo (his favorite movie!), Motor Speedway, the Animal Kingdom Safari, and he liked the Live Lion King Show. He also loves teacups and the carousel of course! He did say he liked It’s a Small World even though he didn’t want to go on it at first!

What to do with a 2 Year Old Toddler at Walt Disney World - Our long Life

Parades and street performances!

We watched a lot of little activities on Main Street. He loved the horse coming out with the trolley and people singing. The daily Magic Kingdom Parades were a big hit as well!

Ohana’s Bread Pudding definitely counts as Entertainment!

Hotel Entertainment

With a toddler, we go back to the hotel when everyone is tired, and since we splurged on the Polynesian Hotel (DVC Rentals), they always had great activities like dance parties, movies on the lawn, an amazing pool, characters, water parade, a beach, swings, fireworks from the hotel (where the aren’t too loud).

Here’s a 2 minute video where you can see the highlights of my toddler at Disney World!

What to do with a 2 Year Old Toddler at Walt Disney World - Our long Life
What to do with a 2 Year Old Toddler at Walt Disney World - Our long Life
What to do with a 2 Year Old Toddler at Walt Disney World - Our long Life
What to do with a 2 Year Old Toddler at Walt Disney World - Our long Life
What to do with a 2 Year Old Toddler at Walt Disney World - Our long Life
Walt Disney World with a Toddler Family Photo Locations for Great Family Photos at Magic Kingdom

My Most Recent Disney Trip!

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A video of our 2.5 year old at Disney World!

We just got back from a trip to Disney with my 2.5 years old! I have lots to share, but in the meantime check out the 2 minute video I made by MYSELF! I think it is pretty adorable, but I might be a little biased!

The video helps you see a snapshot of what our trip looked like and what our son did at Disney World! Spoiler: He loved characters and hated most of the indoor rides- Your toddler might be the opposite!

I used Lumen Video free trial to make the video. It was pretty easy, probably took me a couple of hours. I might be a little faster since I am familiar with videos.

Walt Disney World with a Toddler Family Photo Locations for Great Family Photos at Magic Kingdom

Ordering Grocery Delivery at Disney

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Disney Grocery Delivery Review: Instacart, AmazonNow, Garden Grocer and who we used for our Disney Resort stay!

Ordering Grocery Delivery at Disney

Now that we are staying in a Disney vacation club room at the Polynesian resort, we have a small kitchen and fridge. We want to have some fresh groceries available to bring to the parks or eat in our room.

Cheapest Disney Grocery Delivery: Instacart

Instacart can deliver to any location – air bnb, Disney hotels, etc- grocery store prices! I actually believe this is probably the best company to use but using Amazon felt so easy since I am used to them and have a prime account.

Most convenient Grocery Delivery: Amazon Now

Some of the benefits require an Amazon prime account. This is who we used for grocery delivery. It is very easy to order same day through Amazon now app.They can deliver anywhere that has Amazon now available. They can deliver fruit, milk, cheese, yogurt, etc. 
Delivery is free if you hit a certain spend.I am using Amazon now, now Amazon pantry.The delivery is usually within 2 hours. The hotel will hold the items for you and even refrigerate them.
 Some items come through Amazon and some through whole foods but you can pick for everything to come from the same place when you choose your items. 

Most Disney connected: Garden Grocer

This is a local business that is worked with Disney for over ten years. They do charge high delivery fees and high prices for the products. 
We brought our dry snacks ourselves like nuts, goldfish, fruit leather, oranges, salad dressing my toddler likes. Also a friendly reminder to bring your own plastic or metal straws if you have a toddler. Disney had switched to paper straws.

Disney Grocery Delivery Review: Instacart, AmazonNow, Garden Grocer and who we used for our Disney Resort stay!

My grocery list for Disney World Resort:

  • Water bottles!
  • Diet Coke
  • Milk
  • Bananas
  • Berries
  • Avacado
  • Lettuce
  • Feta cheese
  • Cucumbers
  • Yogurt
  • Muffins
  • Croissants
  • Diapers

Alcohol can be delivered too but the hotel might need your ID on file.
 I’m scared to risk any issues

.These are things that are easy to grab for a health affordable snack so I don’t have to pay inflated prices from Disney for water bottles and bananas. You can get a free cup of water from and quick serve location at Disney but I like to have a bottle on me for easy access for me and the toddler. 

Walt Disney World with a Toddler Family Photo Locations for Great Family Photos at Magic Kingdom

How we saved $1,000 staying at Disney’s Deluxe Resorts

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How I saved Hundreds on Disney’s Deluxe Hotels

Saving Money on Disney's Deluxe Resort Hotels through Buying DVC Rentals - We saved over $1,000 on our 4 night stay at Disney's Polynesian and are on the Monorail!

My mom and I have been staying at Disney’s Polynesian hotel since I was little. We have so much nostalgia around that hotel, but it’s getting hard to rationalize the price! We love the convenience of being on the monorail when we have a toddler with us!

Saving Money on Disney's Deluxe Resort Hotels through Buying DVC Rentals - We saved over $1,000 on our 4 night stay at Disney's Polynesian and are on the Monorail!

I recently discovered Disney’s vacation club rentals. No, I am not suggesting you sign up for Disney vacation club! This is a good decision for some people, but not for me. I found out that people rent out Vacation Club members rooms for discounted rates. We booked a stay at the Polynesian waaaayyy in advance so had to pay more, but we still saved $1000 on a 4 night stay!

We paid $1300 and it would have been $2400 booking through Disney Polynesian- $1100 difference!

We paid $1300 and it would have been $2400 booking through Disney Polynesian- $1100 difference! That price includes $100 insurance to ensure we get our money back in case of cancellation (like my toddler or family member gets sick). We are staying 4 nights in January and we booked months and months in advance! We still get fastpasses 90 days out!

Saving Money on Disney's Deluxe Resort Hotels through Buying DVC Rentals - We saved over $1,000 on our 4 night stay at Disney's Polynesian and are on the Monorail!

We used DVC Rental Store. They are always posting new deals! David’s DVC Rentals is also a big name in DVC rentals but they seemed a little stricter on payments. For the DVC rental options, you often have to pay 100 percent at time of booking or what we did 50 percent at booking and 50 percent a little before the trip.

Our Disney Polynesian room at the DVC rentals is also larger, comes with two bathrooms, a small kitchen, and a free parking spot (which we don’t need). It links up with your My Disney Experience and you receive magic bands in the mail just like any other booking!

There are cheaper places than the Polynesian too. I really want to stay at Animal Kingdom Lodge with safari animals roaming around. 

Saving Money on Disney's Deluxe Resort Hotels through Buying DVC Rentals - We saved over $1,000 on our 4 night stay at Disney's Polynesian and are on the Monorail!
Saving Money on Disney's Deluxe Resort Hotels through Buying DVC Rentals - We saved over $1,000 on our 4 night stay at Disney's Polynesian and are on the Monorail!
Saving Money on Disney's Deluxe Resort Hotels through Buying DVC Rentals - We saved over $1,000 on our 4 night stay at Disney's Polynesian and are on the Monorail!

I also recommend checking their already booked specials to save even more!