You know it takes weeks to recover from Disney, which is why I am just now getting the chance to sit down and tell you all about our latest trip to the happiest place on Earth, otherwise known as Disney World! Plus I wanted to be able to put every single detail of what you may want/need to know in one helpful planning, recap and question + answer post so you could bookmark for safe and easy keeping…
Firs things first… planning all things Disney: I’ve said it before and I will say it again: yes, you need help! If you’re not an expert on all things Lightning Lane, scoring the best restaurant recommendations or know the ins and outs of how to make your Mickey experience the most magical, you need to get my girl Sarah via Fairy Godmother and make her your new best friend. She has planned all of our three Disney trips over the past 8 years and I have no doubt they wouldn’t have been as wonderful had it not been for her expertise. She takes care of everything so that you can actually enjoy your trip…
OK so let’s get down to the nitty gritty details so I can relive every magic memory with you… our full itinerary is first up:
Yes, we like to stack our days at Disney. We only had four days on the ground due to getting back home for school + dance to pick back up after the holiday break so that’s why we did 4 parks in 4 days. Ideally, we would have a mid-week break day where we take it easy and rest but that wasn’t in our cards this go around… so we woke up early every day, but it was well worth it considering all we wanted to accomplish and check off our list. From sunrise skyliner rides to nighttime fireworks, every day was packed with excitement, laughter + a little extra pixie dust.
DAY 1 | TRAVEL DAY
We flew out around lunchtime from Nashville, which was fantastic… didn’t have to wake up early and had plenty of time to arrive to the airport. Plus it’s a fast 1.45 hour flight into Orlando for us, so once we arrived our transportation was already at baggage claim and took us immediately to our hotel, The Beach Club Resort. This was our first time staying at this WDW property and we LOVED it. Previously, we’ve done Animal Kingdom Lodge, the Polynesian and the Riviera Resort [loved them all as well], but I was so thankful we stayed here after Sarah’s recommendation.
It’s super convenient to Epcot [you can walk inside the park in 5 minutes] and Hollywood Studios [short 10-minute ride by Skyliner] and we loved how easy it was to navigate… you almost feel like you’re on the coast of New England with the decor, ambiance, room amenities, restaurants and pools. It’s the sister resort to the Yacht Club which is nextdoor and across the lake from the Boardwalk Resort as well.
PRO TIP | When planning your trip, think about your “musts”… if it’s the nicest hotel with plenty of pools for the kids, stay at a deluxe resort = if it’s transportation and being the most efficient, utilize the monorail and/or Skyliner = rank your most important things and let your travel agent know upfront what matters most to you and your family!
For us, we love the deluxe resorts and usually prefer the monorail hotels, but I have nothing but great things to say about the Beach Club and would absolutely stay there again!
That afternoon, we got to check-in, get settled and then decided to explore for a bit… walking to the Boardwalk, checking out the hotel and such and then took a Lyft to Disney Springs to go to dinner at City Works Brewery… a casual sports bar with great food and lots of TVs for watching games = it was simple and a crowd pleaser for everyone in our family. And we definitely recommend the BBQ pork tacos and the cookie skillet! Afterwards, we walked around Disney Springs = hopping into shops and stores and exploring and then called it an early night + went back to the hotel to get a good night of sleep.
DAY 2 | MAGIC KINGDOM
Day two came early… we had decided early on that we were going to rope drop all of the parks so that we could ride some of our favorites more than once AND make the most of our time onsite. That morning, we decided use the Minnie Van Service through Lyft to get us to Magic Kingdom early AND beat the crowds= best money spent ever!!! Not only does it pick you up at your hotel, BUT it gets you to the very front entrance of Magic Kingdom… that makes the added $$ worth it for us. It’s all through the Lyft app and you can schedule it right when you need it AND if you have small kids, each Minnie Van comes with 2 carseats you can use as well.
Once the park opened early for guests staying on site, we immediately headed to Tomorrow Land to knock out Space Mountain since that was first on Carson list. From there, we hit up some of our other favs like Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Buzz Lightyear’s Spin, It’s a Small World and more. Then a few hours into our visit is when Sarah had scheduled our Lightning Lane Passes to begin = if there is one thing to spend extra $$$ on at Disney, it’s these passes – both the MULTI and SINGLE ride passes as some specific rides are ONLY offered that way.
We kept it casual for lunch hitting up Casey’s Corner Hot Dogs for a quick bite of lunch and then spent all afternoon riding our favorite attractions, hitting up Main Street shops and finally getting to ride TRON which was absolutely amazing!!! Of course in true Orlando fashion it rained that afternoon, but we were well equipped with ponchos and then once everything dried up we hit up Space Mountain twice more AND then managed to ride Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, too.
That night, we had reservations at Be Our Guest for dinner which is always a go-to for our fam. It’s turned from a quick-service restaurant to a full-service sitdown and I actually like it more this way. Once we finished up there, we decided it was time to head home so we could get a good night of sleep and avoid the crazy crowds = pro tip is to watch fireworks from your hotel so you can go to bed right after ;).
DAY 3 | EPCOT
I’d say my favorite thing about our hotel was that we could walk into EPCOT from the back entrance which just so happened to be immediately next to the all new Ratatouille ride in the France part of EPCOT. We got in line before the park opened and only had to wait 15 minutes for this one so we didn’t have to use one of our Lightning Lane passes! I will say… it’s cute and it’s fun to ride, but it seems it’s normally a 120-180 minute standby wait for this one and I wouldn’t recommend waiting that amount of time for this one if that’s your only option.
After that we walked over to breakfast at Garden Grill… a super cute and easy breakfast option on a rotating restaurant, we were visited by Mickey Mouse, Chip n Dale and Pluto too and also got to have an all-american breakfast! Loved this for a semi-quick sit down meal and then we walked downstairs right onto SOARIN’ with our LL passes.
While we were at EPCOT, they still had the holiday kiosks open with all the seasonal beverages and light bites and it was super fun to walk around the World Showcase, trying new foods + drinks and checking out the attractions within each country. We didn’t make lunch plans that day so that is what we did for our “meal” and we all agreed it was one of our favorite things we did.
Now backing up a bit, that morning at 7AM, I logged onto the My Disney Experience app to get in the queue for Guardians of the Galaxy, but wasn’t lucky enough to snag a spot. Fortunately, this is one of the rides you can pay $$$ for a Single Pass Lightning Lane and we did that beforehand… if there is one new ride to experience at WDW, it is 100% this one = the best ride at Disney no doubt! We got to ride it early that afternoon and it was EXCEPTIONAL… everyone’s vote for their #1 ride. While we were on the ride, the 1PM queue opened up again and Sarah was able to get us a spot so we were able to come back later that night once our boarding group was called to ride it again = definite win for the Stonekings and our fantastic travel agent!
That evening, we did a sit down Italian dinner at Via Napoli and I will rave about it… super authentic pizzas just like you’ll get in Italy and delicious pasta everyone will enjoy. A great option for families for sure!!! The best part?? We got to walk back to our hotel before all of the nightly festivities kicked off and we got a GREAT night of sleep after two jampacked days.
DAY 4 | HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS
Now onto our fourth day of the trip… all things Hollywood Studios AKA what I vote is my 2nd favorite park right behind Magic Kingdom! I feel like this park has the most to offer for older kids + adults and is definitely where I vote you to spend a full day while you’re visiting WDW. We planned to do the early park entry yet again to take advantage of no ride wait times and it proved to be extremely beneficial once again.
This morning, we hopped onboard the Disney Skyliner right outside our resort to take an aerial roadtrip and cannot recommend it enough! The Skyliners were easy, convenient, fast and fun and had us walking into Hollywood Studios with plenty of time to spare.
As soon as we entered, we walked directly to The Rockin’ Roller Coaster so that we would be able to ride it twice in one day and got it done quickly… with just enough time to head to our first Lightning Lane pass check-in for the Tower of Terror AKA Jeff’s least favorite ride at Disney. The last time we visited he wouldn’t go on it so the fact our children convinced him shocked + surprised me and let’s just say it was his first AND last time for this specific dropdown attraction = it was hilarious to us, but maybe slightly traumatic for him… good laughs we will always remember though!
Once we wrapped that one up, we headed to Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway Train which was SUPER CUTE… then we had breakfast at Hollywood ‘N Vine = another easy, sit down breakfast option with Disney Plus characters and plenty of mimosas on repeat for the adults. Once we wrapped up, we ventured over to Toy Story Land for our next LL passes for Toy Story Mania and Slinky Dog Dash = little did we know rain was looming and we got POURED on when we rode Slinky, but like I said… a day we definitely won’t forget. And of course that was the one day we decided to forego bringing our rain ponchos with us = par for the course. In the end, we ended up having a light bite for lunch that day, letting the afternoon sun dry out our clothes and hair and then went to check off both Star Wars rides. For dinner, we ate at Rodeo Roundup BBQ back in Toy Story Land and we all LOVED it… the decor + atmosphere, family style serving and food/drink were all great and hands down recommend this one for your next visit to Hollywood Studios!
PRO TIP | If you have a less than stellar experience on a ride like we did due to the torrential rain that started right before we hopped on Slinky Dog but AFTER we had already scanned our LL passes, go find a Disney Cast Member working that ride. They were super kind and after showing them our pictures from our first ride, they let us ride again without any hesitation to make it more memorable!
P.S. this also happened to be New Year’s Eve and as much as we would’ve LOVED to stay up until midnight, we were absolutely wiped so we called it a night around 9PM and took the Skyliner back to our room… and then got to listen to all the fireworks once we were cuddled up in our pajamas.
DAY 5 | ANIMAL KINGDOM
How could it be our last day??? You know when you go to Disney it’s definitely a marathon and not a sprint so we thought we’d save Animal Kingdom for our last park to visit… we also knew we’d wrap up AK earlier than the others and would have time to pack up to head home, etc.
Minnie Van for the early morning dropoff win yet again! We got our Lyft app up, requested a ride and we were on our way well before the sun came up. We entered the park early, booked it to Kilamanjaro Safaris and were the very first ride of the day on the tour.
PRO TIP | Ride this in the morning if you can… this is when the animals are still getting fed, they are all out and moving around/playing and you’re most likely to see the most wildlife at this time before it gets too hot and/or the lines get too long!
Once we tackled the safari, the girls wanted to ride Expedition Everest and we checked our Disney app and the wait time was only 5 minutes so we headed over and rode it twice = winning. After that, we ventured over to all things Avatar, did Navi River Passage and Flight and then we made our way to Tusker House for our early lunch reservations.
After that, we decided it was time for us to head back to the hotel for a much needed afternoon nap = something none of us NEVER do while on vacation, but by day 4 = it was more than due! A few hours of rest+ relaxation followed by packing up and then we headed over to the Polynesian Resort for our favorite dinner on WDW property = Ohana. Once you go you’ll never NOT eat there… and book a reservation near fireworks time because you get the best views of Magic Kingdom that way too!!!
All good things must come to an end and the next morning, we took the first direct flight out of Orlando so we could get home by lunchtime = genius idea so we could be back home and get back to the “normal”. So there you have it… the full itinerary and day by day activity calendar for each park, attraction and of course lots of our fav things to do and a few pro tips sprinkled in for good measure… hope it helps when planning your next Disney trip!!!
You asked all the questions, and I’ve got the answers = everything from planning the perfect park day to our favorite spots for good eats [because yes, that is super important, too]. I’m also sharing my personal tips for navigating the parks with ease, making the most of your time, and keeping the magic alive. And, of course, we can’t forget the outfits! I’ve shared all our favorite looks from the parks and also resharing cute and comfy park-worthy looks that are on theme, stylish and totally Minnie-approved.
I’m certainly a nostalgic kind of person, so it won’t come as a surprise that my fav park has to be the original: Magic Kingdom. There’s just something so special about the entire atmosphere = it feels like stepping into a storybook and I cannot help but smile every time we go! From the charm of Main Street to the unique “lands,” it’s truly the happiest place on earth. I love the character meet-and-greets scattered throughout the park, where little moments can turn into big memories for the littles [oh how I miss those days and having to get all their autographs]. And the parades!! They’re iconic for a reason, bringing all the Disney magic to life right before your eyes with song + dance. There’s truly nothing else like it!
Do yourself a favor and hire a Disney travel agent—you’ll thank me later! Planning a Disney trip can feel overwhelming with all the options, timelines, reservation dates, etc… but having an expert by your side makes all the difference. Like I mentioned above, Sarah has handled all our Disney adventures, and I can’t say enough great things about her business. She takes care of everything—from hotels and park tickets to transportation—and even puts it all together in a fully detailed itinerary you can take with you! When someone so well-versed in all things Mickey handles the logistics, you can relax and focus on enjoying the magic. Trust me, it’s a game-changer!
We’ve been lucky enough to take the girls to Disney four times, and each trip has been so special! Our first visit was in October 2016 when Caroline was 4 and Carson was 3. They were in their princess-obsessed era, so Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique was a must. We stayed at Animal Kingdom Lodge, explored all four parks, and spent six magical nights on property with Mimi and Pappy in tow, too [you know they weren’t missing out on the girls’ first visit to Disney!!].
Our second trip was in December 2019 when Caroline was 7 and Carson was 6. This time, we stayed at the Polynesian, visited three parks, and had a shorter but just as memorable four-night stay right after Christmas. Similar to what we did this time = just enough time to get the majority of the parks knocked out and still get home before they had to go back to school after the winter break.
Then came February 2020—a dream trip sponsored by Disney! Caroline and Carson were still 7 and 6, and we got to experience a three-day park adventure followed by a four-day Disney cruise. We stayed at the stunning Riviera Resort, which made the trip even more incredible because it had just opened and for that trip, we visited Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios.
Finally, our most recent visit was in December 2024. With Caroline now 12 and Carson 11, it felt like a full-circle moment. We stayed at the Beach Club, visited all four parks, and spent five amazing nights onsite, creating new memories to treasure with them as tweens.
When people ask me my favorite brand partnership of all time, it’s always the easiest answer because it’s Disney. I’ve had the incredible opportunity to partner with Disney as a creator a few times over the years, and it’s truly been one of the biggest pinch me moments of my social media career. I’ve worked with them twice on Disney cruises + once in the parks for their annual Creator Summit = each experience was absolutely FABULOUS + of course… collaborating with Disney was one of those dream-come-true-times that made me so grateful for this journey in social media. + to get to bring my friends along for the fun!
We haven’t done the VIP experience ourselves, but I have friends who have and they rave about it! Essentially, you get a private Disney Cast Member [essentially a tour guide] who handles everything—behind-the-scenes access, private transportation and walking right onto rides. It’s a serious splurge, but it’s also the ultimate way to experience all four parks in a single day. Since the cost covers up to 10 people, it makes sense for a larger group, but for just the four of us, it’s not quite worth it. Personally, I’d rather invest that kind of money into another big adventure—like Europe ;).
Dressing for Disney as a mom is all about finding that sweet spot between cute and comfy! Think athletic dresses with sneakers, biker shorts with oversized tees, or matching sets that keep you looking put-together.
Pro Tip | Stick to a color scheme and go all in with that… that way you’re saving space for more souvenirs! It makes mixing and matching a breeze, so you can create multiple outfits with minimal effort.
And of course… don’t forget accessories—a lightweight backpack/fanny bag for all the essentials and some fun ears to add a little extra magic to your look is always a yes when coming to Disney. Practical doesn’t have to mean boring!
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