The drive took 8 hours from the Chicago area. Google maps says it takes 5.5 but we were towing our camper. We also had a trailer tire blow out when we were just an hour from the campgrounds.
Posts tagged #family vacation
Kids on a Plane - Tips to help you not lose your Sh*t!
Kids on a plane. Seems like it could be a title for a thriller movie kind of like Snakes on a Plane. Not sure which one is worse.
Traveling with kids, especially on a plane, can seem daunting but it doesn't have to be. Like with everything else you do with kids, proper preparation can cut down on the craziness.
Floating the Platte River in Northern Michigan
One of the more popular attractions and the biggest hit with our family was floating down the Platte River. Since we stayed at the Platte River Campgrounds, we were right down the road but it took us a couple days to figure out the right spot, for our family with younger children, to put in.
Devil's Lake Wisconsin Camping Trip!
Last fall, our family took a major step and decided to invest in a travel trailer. I stalked the internet for months trying to find the best deal on a used "starter" camper for our family. Our knowledge of campers, or towing anything in general, was sparse but I'm a firm believer that if you want to do something you just have to pull the trigger and learn through doing.
Our Top 5 attractions for the under 5 at Walt Disney World
Recently, I've been getting asked for suggestions on the can't miss attractions at Walt Disney World. There are so many things you can do at each of the 4 parks that it can seem overwhelming. This got me thinking and so I asked my daughter, who has been to Disney World several times only at the age of 5. Here is my daughter's top five list!
It's a Small World
-Fantasyland
She has loved this ride since before she was 1 and it's a classic. There is something magical and happy about this ride that opens up their little eyes. It's located in the Magic Kingdom in Fantasyland.
Disney's Electrical Parade
-Fantasyland
This is a can't miss! Seriously, your kids will love this just as mine did. We always plan this one ahead as it's only offered on certain days and at certain times. The sparkly lights at night with the famous Disney characters drive the kids insane! In a good way, that is.
Dumbo
- Fantasyland
It's a classic and it's fun! They recently revamped this attraction. This is more of an adventurous ride as the height can be intimidating to little little kids. Bella is not a fan of "thrill rides" but still enjoys this one very much.
Kilimanjaro Safari ride
- Animal Kingdom
This one is such an adventure for young kids. It's so much more than a Zoo and you feel like you are really on a safari in this open atmosphere. We have always had the most luck of seeing the amazing animals if you go right when the park opens. This ride is located at the Animal Kingdom Park.
The Little Mermaid and Nemo Ride
-Fantasyland and Epcot
These are a combo as they are kind of the same but with different movie themes and both are great for young kids. The Little Mermaid ride is at the Magic Kingdom in Fantasyland and the Nemo ride is at Epcot.
Dressing up at the parks
- Anywhere!
Okay, this is actually number 6 and it's not really an attraction but my kids love doing this so I just had to mention. The kids love wearing their costumes at the parks. You can find some pretty affordable princess outfits that wont break the bank ahead of time at Target or Walmart. You can even get a coordinating outfit that resembles a character and the kids will be excited. I would recommend bringing some loose clothes for them to change into just in case they get hot in the dresses.
Have you heard of
Disney Bound
? People, by people I mean adults too, actually dress up like characters in their own interpretations with regular clothes while matching the color palettes of the characters. For a more detailed explanation I found an article
that describes it best. It's pretty cool and I'm sure we will try this on our next visit. You can find some ideas on pinterest by searching
!
Honorable mention: Winnie the Pooh ride at Fantasyland
The ride itself can be a tad outdated but the kids still love the black florescent scenes. The main attraction with this ride is actually waiting in line. They have fun games and activities throughout the line to keep the kids occupied and entertained.
Have you traveled to Disney World with your little one's? What are their favorite attractions? Leave your comments below!
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Character Breakfast at the Hollywood and Vine
It seems like every time we visit Disney World we have to do a character breakfast of some sort. This past trip we did 2! We usually do the Cape May character breakfast and buffet at the Beach Club Resort. This year we decided to add a second character breakfast and try out the
Hollywood and Vine Restaurant.
Hollywood and Vine Character
Breakfast Buffet
It's located in the Hollywood Studios theme park right across from Echo Lake.
The character buffet is also offered for lunch as well, although, breakfast is cheaper at 30 per adult.
We were so excited to dine with the Characters from Disney Jr at the Hollywood Vine Restaurant located in the Hollywood Studios theme park!
I have to say, if you have kids that watch Disney Jr. they will love this character breakfast more than the others!
We decided to do an early breakfast so we could play in the park the rest of the day.
The characters included:
Sofia the First
Doc McStuffins
Jake and the Neverland Pirates
Handy Manny
The Buffet:
It was very good and offered plenty of options for all tastes such as waffles, eggs, fresh fruit, yogurt bar, frittatas.... I could go on but you get the idea. There is also a ice cream sundae bar that the kids will love!
The Scene:
Its set up like a 50's diner with the plastic and sparkly couches. The dining experience also provides some musical entertainment and dancing on the part of the characters in costume. Kids can get up and dance along with their favorite characters.
Overall, I would say we enjoyed this character breakfast the most! The characters are much more familiar to the kids and the food was great!!
Have you tried the Hollywood and Vine before? Have you tried a different character breakfast at Disney World? I'm curious as to what everyone else has tried!
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Magical Monday: Our Magic Bands are here!!
*This post contains my affiliate link that helps support my family.
This seems to be the start of the 3 week build up to our Disney Vacation!
Our Magic Bands arrived this week...
All 18 of them...ooops
Looks like Disney didn't realize that we're resort hopping this trip.
Resort hopping is one of my favorite things to do. You get a feel for the many resorts and they're all so very different and unique.
Resorts this trip
- Disney's Art of Animation Resort - Specifically the Nemo room
- Disney's Old Key West - an oldie but a goodie - 1 bedroom villa
- Disney's Animal Kingdom Villas
We have already stayed in two out of the three. We are new to the Art of Animation Resort and we really wanted to try out the pool!
photo found here:
I can't wait to write a review for ya'll!
Road Tripping
I'm getting a little anxious as this is the first time we will be road tripping it with our kids. We decided to drive this time due to plane ticket prices soaring in the past year and our littlest no longer flies for free. They can barely stand being in the car for 45 minutes so I'm a kind of terrified for this drive.
We've made some driving entertainment arrangements for them. We bought a
RCA DRC79982 9-Inch Mobile DVD Player with Additional 9-inch Screen
for the back seats. They each get their own and we have a large collection of Disney DVDs to last through both there and back.
I've also started to put together their own goodie buckets with games and activities for them to do on the way there. I bought these
activity trays that just so happened to work nicely over there car and booster seats.
Welcome to Magical Monday Link up!!!
Magical Monday is a link up dedicated to any and all things Disney. Every Monday we will be here to share our favorite moments and posts. It can be a post about a review from the parks, a craft, recipe or just a heartfelt memory. Whatever it is (past or new) link up those Disney inspired posts!!
Rules
This will be pretty simple.
1. Just link up your post below.
2. Add the Magical Mondays button to your post or a simple link will do.
3. Visit other participants and start sharing!
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