SHHH!!! DON’T TELL MY KID
Can you keep a secret??!!!! We decided a last minute trip to Disney World for Fall Break and are planning to surprise our 8 year old daughter. That is if I can keep it a secret for another 27 days. I say last minute, because in the Disney world… a months notice is pretty late to jump on the scheduling band wagon. But honestly, this is giving me just enough time to pull the surprise together! Feel free to check out if you have zero interest in the topic… as I realize this is not an Interiors post, but I thought that if my mind goes this deep into planning a trip, I might as well share some of the details with you all as well!
We are not Disney virgins. I have been numerous times in my life, but this will be my daughter’s second trip. The last time she went, she was four, obsessed with Elsa and Anna and was more excited about autographs than rides. Although she went on every single one she was tall enough for at the time. This go around, at 8, I am hoping there is still some magic left for her. I still feel the magic in the air every time I walk down Main Street, so I mean she will too, right?! It really is one of the happiest places and after a hard few weeks of dealing with the sudden loss of my father we decided not to put off the fun. You never know what will happen tomorrow.
What we are first timers to is Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party! Holidays at Disney have always been a bucket list item for myself, so I cannot wait to experience Halloween themed events at the Magic Kingdom with my family. Trick or Treating with Mickey sounds pretty awesome at any age. And there is a Hocus Locus Live Show… Only my absolute favorite Halloween Movie!
Here are my tips for traveling to Disney (at any time)…
Hotels // Stay on property!!!!! There are so many advantages to doing this. Such as extra hours in the parks, travel to each of the parks, services that allow you to purchase items in the parks and they will deliver them to your hotel room and so much more. But I will say, when we go to Disney, we are at the PARKS!! So we usually opt for one of the less expensive hotels as we are literally just sleeping and showering there. So that helps on the Disney Budget.
Merchandise // Again, everything in/around/associated with the park means extra $$! So I try to stock up ahead of time. eBay is a great source for Disney Park merchandise. I have picked up Ears ahead of time and paid only about half of what they are in the parks. You can also keep an eye out for sales at the Disney Store for the same exact items sold in the parks. Target is another great spot to pick up little Disney accessories and toys. I grabbed three packs Mickey pins on clearance for $1.40 each. These are great little things I can easily throw in my bag and have with me as a surprise for Chloe throughout our visits. She is very much into flare these days. Patches and pins are always a win! I also stock up on glow bracelets for the night events. Yes the Mickey Glow whatever are awesome, but lets face it, you use them once. The glow bracelets/necklaces are fun because you can wear a ton and even hand some out to neighbors while waiting on the fireworks.
Another thing I stock up on before we get down there are Mickey Ponchos. Ours lasted for years!!! But it is time to re-up. The ponchos are a must have. (These from Amazon are great.) It will most likely rain at some point during your visit. The ponchos are light weight and don’t take up too much room in your bags. Already having them will keep you from having to stand in yet another line for some in the stores on property. Lets face it, you are already doing a lot of line standing… who wants to do it for a poncho?!
Outfits // The first time I went to Disney as an adult with my Husband and Stepson we went down with zero prep. T shirts, Hats, and Mickey Mouse Crocs (because of a flipflop malfunction!) and spent basically a years salary for items everyone else was wearing. I have since, learned my lesson and again, stock up before hand! H&M, Target, Gap, JCrew, Etsy, etc… all have really great Disney themed apparel right now. So take advantage even if you are planning a trip a few months from now!
Here are what we will be wearing this trip.
1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10
Since we are also attending the Halloween Party, in which you can wear a costume if you so choose, I knew Chloe would need a costume. Having been down the princess road before and the sweaty itchy mess that are the fancy dresses, I knew I had to find an alternative. I remembered a few years back I had found this Seller on Etsy who created adorable Apron costumes for kids. Chloe had a few for dress up when she was younger. I thought the Apron costume would be the perfect option for this event. Sure enough, the original shop I had purchased from before had a multitude of Disney options. I decided to go classic Mickey/Minnie. We can throw the apron on over a black tank top and tulle skirt from Target and she will be comfy and cute!
What are your tips?!!?! Have you been to the Halloween Party? Any tips on the actual surprise? I have all the questions! lol
Here are a few other Disney Themed Posts from over the years…
Chloe’s First Disney Trip
Beauty & the Beast Birthday Party
Minnie Mouse Birthday Party
Happy Monday!
Oh, you’ll love it! We went to the Not So Scarry Halloween when my girls were 10 and 5. We had so much fun!
As a local, My best tip would be that while you are correct that staying on property is a great idea, it can be very steep price – wise. There is a section of property on Disney proper that is called Bonnet Creek period on that property is a Hilton, a Wyndham, and a Waldorf – Astoria. Those three hotels are not owned by Disney, and so their rates are significantly better, yet you still have most all the same amenities. They are The same distance away from the parks as the resorts, and they have free shuttle transportation. It’s always worth checking out!
You’re going to love to Halloween party! It’s one of my favorite memories with my kids and I love that you can go on the rides late too. We def took advantage of this!
We surprised two sets of grandkids,( 8,5,4) first with the trip the morning of, one thought he was driving us to the airport, the others were awoken to a “family meeting”, complete with a video announcement. We were doing it last minute as a celebration, as our 8 year old granddaughter had just been through a serious illness which had her hospitalized for several months. Second part of the surprise was meeting up at the airport, we flew into their departing airport (we are in MA and they are in MD) and surprised the all the traveling grandkids. Huge sibling/cousin reunion. We also packed up goody bags for the flight, with things to keep them busy, matching tees and sunglasses as well as lots of cute Disney things we found online beforehand. As DVC members we could all stay in a villa onsite, which was so much fun! We always do the glow stuff from the dollar store, tees from Walmart or Target etc. And we have always stayed on site, even before we were DVC members, for the great transportation and Disney fun. Disney Springs is a day’s worth of exploring all by itself, and we recommend several spots to watch fireworks without going into the parks. The beach at the Polynesian and the boat dock at the Grand Floridian or the viewing deck at the California Grill at the Contemporary(go for a drink then stay to watch) then you can take one if their busses back to transfer at Disney Springs, and skip the chaos at the Magic Kingdom. Fast passes are a lifesaver, and we have found that you can even make some a day or two in advance while there for the less crowded rides. If you want to do Pandora at Animal Kingdom, get up really early to be in line at the park at least an hour before it opens. The quick service dining plan has been revamped, great options, great food, and includes special drinks for kids as well as an adult beverage for those who want one. Google the dining plan, and read the food blogs, lots of tips on where to eat, and many of them feature “real” food, not just burgers and dogs. So much fun to be had at the House of Mouse! BTW those grandkids are teens now, and they and their parents still LOVE Disney.
We did this exact thing last year for spring break! It was the first time we did Disney with our four and eight year old daughter and son. We loved it! We got a crazy good deal at Coronado Springs since it was under construction- I totally agree that it’s worth staying on Disney grounds. We are planning our next trip next April- if you come up with any other tips or opinions about Disney I’d love to read them. I love the inspiration for clothes etc. I think a few of these will be showing up under the Christmas tree this year.