Be Our Guest - Dinner Review

Exactly 180 days out from our trip, I called Disney Dining in hopes to get a reservation at the elusive Be Our Guest Restaurant. This is one of Disney's newest restaurants which means it's THE hardest to get a reservation for. Of course, knowing that it's so difficult to get in, only makes me want to eat there more. Lucky for us, there was one reservation left and it was for our last day in the parks (I still find it ridiculous that they are booked 180 days out by 10am).

I truly had no idea what to expect. I felt like I had won the lotto just by getting a table. But since I had 180 days before I would actually be inside Beast's Castle, I forced myself to lower my expectations for fear of getting disappointed in the whole experience.

It was finally here. The day of our reservation! We couldn't have planned it better as we had the first reservation of the day. Sure, it was senior citizen's dinner hour, but it allowed me to get some great shots of inside the restaurant before it filled up!

The restaurant has three dining rooms (it's quite amazing that they book up every day), the west wing, the ballroom and the rose gallery. We ate in the ballroom where snow falls right outside the window.

Now it was time to order. Since we had just ran the half marathon that morning, and we were so excited to have gotten this reservation, we decided to go all out. We started with a bottle of wine (which was a must considering this is the only place you can get alcohol in Magic Kingdom) and a meat and cheese tray. For our entrees I got the strip steak with Pommes Frites (fancy word for french fries) and I think they were the best part. The cooked them in truffle oil which gave them such a unique flavor. Rachel ordered the sauteed shrimp and scallops that came in a puff pastry which was also very good.

In between dinner and dessert, the Beast made his grand entrance into the ballroom and then on to the throne room to meet and great guests on their way out from dinner.

We were going to just try the grey stuff for dessert, but after seeing all the other options from the dessert cart, we had to get two desserts.

Since part of the experience was meeting the Beast, we couldn't leave without partaking. We made our way to the throne room and stood in line for about 15 minutes before it was our turn to take a picture. We had a little magical moment when I dared Rachel to sit in his chair while the people in front of us were taking his picture. When he heard of what was happening, he tried to keep his composure until the people in front of us were gone. Then it was our turn for a picture, but first he had to brush off his seat to rid it of Rachel's "germs". He then sat down and claimed back what was rightfully his.

Probably one of the best moments of the trip!

All in all I would say to definitely try and get a reservation at Be Our Guest Restaurant. While it is one of the more expensive places to eat, I found the food to be very good. I loved that the menu was different enough from other Disney restaurants so you didn't feel you were eating the same things. The ambiance of the restaurant was also amazing. They definitely got all the details right. I also loved that fact that you could order a bottle or glass of wine in a park that it's forbidden in! Lastly, the experience with the Beast is one you can't get anywhere else.

Mickey's Not So Merry Christmas Party

Yep, you read that right, Mickey's Not So Merry Christmas Party. A few years ago I posted about Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party in Walt Disney World and how great it was. Unfortunately, just two years later, it seems as if everything has changed....for the worse. It pains me to have to write this about my beloved Disney, but I only hope to help those of you who are planning a trip and can't decide if this is worth the extra money or not.

As I've written before, this is a special hard ticket event that requires extra theme park admission. Over the years I've gone to so many of these parties and I love them so much that I welcome the extra cost. One of the biggest advantages of these events like Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party in the fall and Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party in the winter is that they advertise the crowds to be much lighter. This could not have been more wrong in our instance last week. I had never seen the parks so crowded which made for a not so magical experience.

Normally when the party starts at 7pm, it is more crowded than usual because they are trying to get the day guests out of the parks while the party goers are all arriving. Normally this influx of crowd lasts about an hour and then things start to calm down. This year, that never happened. Unfortunately, when it is that crowded it makes all the other special activities incredibly hard to experience. For instance, they serve cookies and hot chocolate at various places throughout the park for free. But because of the crowds, we found ourselves waiting in line for 20 minutes just to get these treats.

When it came time for the castle lighting, parade and fireworks it was hard to find a spot, but if you did, those three events were well worth the wait. After all, Disney certainly knows how to set off some fireworks and put together an unforgettable parade.

We spent the rest of the night fighting crowds (and the cold) until we couldn't deal with it anymore. The wait times for rides never seemed to go down which made us just want to come back another day when it would be less crowded to ride those rides.

The only picture I got of the parade. Look at all those people! 

Does this party offer unique experiences you can't get on any other night in the parks? Sure, but it comes at much too high of a price. Go to Magic Kingdom any other night and you will see the holiday decorations and be able to ride rides without too long of a wait. Things you get at the party you can't get any other time: Snow on Main Street, unlimited hot chocolate and cookies and a special fireworks display and parade. My recommendation is this, save your money and hop on over to Hollywood Studios to enjoy the Osbourne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights. At least there you get a light show of choreographed Christmas lights without having to buy a special ticket. Not to mention it snows there too! And unless you plan on eating $70 worth of cookies, stay back and enjoy the lighter crowds while everyone is at Magic Kingdom for Mickey's Very (Not So) Merry Christmas Party.

Pure joy as we strolled down the streets of the Osbourne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights!

DIY Olaf Costume

If you're anything like me, you have probably waited until the last minute to figure out Halloween costumes for your children. You would have thought since this is Charlotte's first Halloween, I would have had her costume figured out months ago...that couldn't be more wrong! Last week a quick panic came over me when I realized I hadn't even thought about a Halloween costume and it was in just two weeks!

After a good Pinterest session, I decided on Olaf. Since Frozen is so hot right now (see what I did there?!), I decided to ride that train while I can, because I'm sure by this time next year, no one will even know that lovable snowman's name.

In an effort to not break the bank on a costume she will only wear for an hour or so, I decided I would try my hand at making it. After all, she isn't going to remember this Halloween and dressing her up is for pure selfish reasons on my part so the simpler the better. My only stipulation was to make sure it was cute enough for pictures! 

What you'll need:

Tulle

White ribbon

White short sleeve onsie

Embroidery machine (optional)

Black fabric (additional fabric if you are making Olaf's face by hand)

Glue

Scissors

Black tights

Black long sleeve shirt

Making the skirt was my first step. I didn't bother doing a full tutorial on this, since there are already 1,000 of them out there. Here is the one I used for the tutu. This was super easy and doesn't require a sewing machine or any sewing skill so don't be afraid!

The next step was to make the onsie. I chose to do a short sleeve one because I wanted a black one sleeve shirt underneath so she had twig arms just like Olaf! I found an embroidery file that was an applique of Olaf's face, so I simply made the shirt that way. If you don't have an embroidery machine, his face is simple enough to make on your own. I would either hand draw his face directly on the onsie or cut out pieces of fabric and glue them on. 

Now for the final touches! Simply add black tights, black fabric circles to the tutu and your black long sleeve shirt, and that's all there is to it! I'm so proud that the only money I spent on this costume was to purchase the embroidery file for the shirt. Everything else I managed to have from leftover projects or were part of Charlotte's existing wardrobe. 

The only thing left is a head piece of some sort. I know Olaf doesn't wear a hat, but I was thinking about maybe a basic white bow with some pipe cleaners coming out the top like his hair. Let me know if you have a better idea. I would love to hear about it!

Minnie's Bow Headband

I wish I could say I was this creative and came up with this idea on my own, however, that would be a lie. Amanda over at Dixie Delights shared this adorable DIY last month and as soon as I saw it, I just had to try it out for myself! Imagine all the possibilities!

To start, you just need a set of Minnie Mouse ears (I went with the classic ones you can get in the parks), some elastic, alligator clips and any bow you want. This project takes no skill or time so dust off those mouse ears before your next trip to Disney!

First you want to carefully cut off the original bow that came on your ears. Don't worry though because you will be able to have the classic Minnie look again by using this same bow whenever you like. Now you need to glue your elastic to the headband where the bow once was. You'll want to glue on the underside so the top can be where your new bows will attach.

Now that your elastic is secured to the headband, go ahead and make your bows using your favorite fabric. For mine. I used Lilly and Star Wars (perfect for Star Wars the Weekend) fabric, but this is where you can have fun. Get creative and find fabrics that coordinate with your Disney Park outfits (what, you don't have a separate wardrobe for your Disney trips?). You can even find holiday themed fabrics if you're planning on being in Disney for Halloween, Christmas or New Years.

Once you've settled on a bow, or four, simply take your alligator clip and slide it under the center piece of the bow at the bottom. Normally you would attach your alligator clip to the backside of the bow, but for this project you want it on the bottom.

And there you have it! Slide it in to the elastic and now your bows are interchangeable! Make sure you put an alligator clip on the original bow as well so you can still wear them the classic way! Below are all the ones I've made so far. I've decided that I need to make bigger bows, but I didn't have any big enough pieces of scrap fabric, so for now these will do, but be prepared to see some real obnoxious ones!

I now have ears for every outfit and occasion! I seriously can't contain my excitement. Imagine all the different Minnie ears I'm going to have on my next trip in December! What do you think? If you have a trip coming up, will you do this for you and your family?

Review: Epcot After Hours Wind Down

People often ask me why I go to Disney so much. Aren't you tired of doing the same rides over and over again? Sure, a lot of the things we do while on vacation are repetitive, but the familiarity of it all is what makes it a true vacation to me. You like to go to the beach and I like to go to Disney World. To make each trip memorable and unique, I try to do at least one thing I've never done before and the Epcot After Hours Wind Down event was just the thing I was looking for!

On select nights now through the beginning of November, you can choose from four bars in Epcot to take part in a very unique after hours event. Parks after hours?! Food and wine?! Sign me up! 

We decided to try the wine tasting at Tutto Gusto Wine Cellar in Italy for our after hours experience. The other options were tequila tasting at La Cava del Tequila in Mexico, beer at Rose and Crown Pub in England and I'm not really sure what at Spice Road Table in Morocco. 

Concluding the fireworks show, Illuminations, the park officially closed to the general public. If you are part of the After Hours event, make your way over to the country you chose and sign in with the host. They will lead you to a table where you will then get a wristband to denote that you are part of the event. I apologize in advance for the pictures you are about to see. I did not have a decent camera with me so these were all taken with my iPhone. Sorry!!

You are presented with a pairings menu. I was not expecting such a variety of options. I kinda figured it would be the same for everyone, so it was nice to be able to order different things and see/taste what everyone else in your party chose.

  

 Since it was 9:30 at night, I went with the sweet option for my wines since they were paired with dessert. To be honest, this is the part I wish I could do over again. I was intimidated by the red wines since I usually only drink white, and ended up with too sweet of wines (Moscatos to be exact). Since my inlaws ordered the reds with cheese and bread, I sat envious wishing I hadn't done what I did. The desserts were good, but after sweet wine and three dessert shooters I was left with a sick feeling in my stomach. Way too much rich food that late at night.

I didn't let my own ordering mistake bring me down though. One of the highlights of the event was the fact that our server was the same server we had on our Disney cruise over a year ago! I couldn't believe it. His name and voice were so familiar to me and it didn't take long before I was able to place him. Of course he had no idea who I was, but it was still nice to make that connection.

Once we were done, we went ahead and asked for the check. At this point you have the option to order drinks a la carte off the menu but since we just spent $35 on this, I didn't see the need to spend another $10 on a glass of wine. 

This next part was the absolute best and made me feel like I really got my money's worth. We got to walk all the way to the front of the park to leave with no one else in the park! My Disney inner nerd was completely freaking out. I mean how often can you say you just walked through Epcot with no one else?! I got to snap some awesome pictures (as awesome as you can get with an iPhone camera) and enjoy the peace and quiet of the entire theme park. 

All in all I would recommend this experience to anyone who enjoys a nice quiet end to a hectic day at the parks. Sit back, relax and enjoy an adult beverage while everyone else battles with strollers and wheel chairs to get back to their rooms after a long day. Then when you are done, just waltz out of the parks like you own the place; priceless.

High Five for Friday - Disney Edition

Since we were in Disney for part of last week and this week, I thought I'd share some of the highlights of our trip for this week's H54F! 

1. Even though we weren't home for the first official football Sunday of the year, Charlotte still rocked her team with a little Disney flare. 
2. So far Charlotte LOVES the Disney characters. One of the first things we did when we got to Disney was have breakfast with Pooh and friends and she loved every character! I wish I could say the same thing for her and our servers while we were there. Every male server or male in general that stopped to talk to her freaked her out so much and she would cry and scream to be held. 
3. I couldn't resist having matching outfits at least once with her! So who better to dress up with than Minnie Mouse! As you can see, she's a little less than thrilled about this, but I promise she warmed up to it later. :) 
4. One of the things I was looking forward to most was the Epcot After Hours Wind Down Event. It was a wine tasting and food pairing after the park closed. Next week I'll post about the whole event if you're interested.
5. I couldn't help but get this last picture of the ball as we were leaving the park one night. We were one of the last people left so it gave me the perfect opportunity to get an unobstructed shot.

All in all it was a great trip and we are already counting down the days until our December trip! Now it's time for a nice relaxing weekend. TGIF!

Linking up with Lauren Elizabeth for H54F!

Disney Inspired Jamberry Nails

I kept hearing a lot about Jamberry Nails so I thought it was time to see what the big deal was about. I perused their website and thought the patterns were cute, but nothing to write home about (a lot of them just weren't my style and I had a hard time imagining all 10 of my nails with an intricate pattern). That is until I did a little googling and stumbled across Disney inspired Jamberry nails! I found a consultant via Pinterest that had all sorts of custom designs that I could totally see myself rocking during a Disney trip. I HAD to give these a try!

After exchanging a few emails with the consultant, I had placed my first order! Even though she lives across the country, within a few days they were in my mailbox. I quickly saw that I could easily get two manicures and two pedicures out of the one sheet....totally worth it!

Now the hard part, figuring out how to apply these things. I wanted to practice so when it was time to do them for Disney, I was a seasoned veteran. I will admit, the first go at it was a HUGE learning experience and didn't even last 24 hours before I peeled them off. The second time, I did some research and watched a few videos online to master the technique. I'm still no pro, but I'm definitely getting better.

I found the key was in the prep. Make sure to push down your cuticles, clean your nails with an alcohol pad and file the tops of your nails to make them rough which will help the adhesive adhere better. That last step is super important and one that isn't advertised.

I chose not to heat the wraps before placing them on my nail as I saw that you can omit this step via Jamberry's tips and tricks video. I also learned from my first experience that fitting them to your nail is super important and you should always chose the wrap that is slightly smaller over the wrap that is slightly too big. The reason being is that you don't want the wrap to touch your skin at all as this breaks up the adhesive and makes it more likely to lift up.

Once you place them on your fingers, you will want to press down firmly and make sure you have no wrinkles or bubbles. Using the cuticle pusher is handy during this step. Then I heat each nail wrap and pressed firmly again. I waited until they were cool before I began trimming. Now that they are adhered and trimmed, I went over them again with the heat to ensure a tight bond. Now all that's left is to file them down to smooth out the tips.

Overall I found these to be a refreshing change from the standard nail polish routine, but just be prepared for a learning curve if you've never done them before. I must say, I LOVE all the options you can get including designing your own via the Nail Art Studio! 

What do you think? Will you give Jamberry a try?

Disney Quick Tip - Gift Cards

Are you planning a Disney trip any time soon? Whether it's in a few months or a few years, you will find yourself overwhelmed at the cost at one point or another. Sure, you can spread out the expenses by paying for it little by little in advance (ie. your hotel room, park tickets etc.), but you still need money for when you're actually there! If you're anything like me, you will be tempted with merchandise around every corner just begging you to buy it. Or if merchandise isn't your thing, you might find yourself drawn to the various dining options in the parks. Either way, one thing is for sure: no matter how hard you try, you will spend more money than you thought once you arrive. After all it's vacation, YOLO, right?

So how much do you need? Since everything else has a set price, you are left with trying to figure out how much to bring with you for food and fun. A general rule of thumb I follow is to plan for $50 per person per day (everyone in your party over the age of 3). If you know you are going to be dining at nice restaurants and indulging in adult beverages, I would add a little more to that number.

Since that seems like a lot of money once you do the math ($1400 for a family of 4 for 7 days). you need to come up with a savings plan. I have always had a hard time saving cash for a trip because it feels like something always comes up and I end up spending that money. So over the years I've come up with a much easier way to save: gift cards.

Where do I get them? You can find Disney gift cards almost anywhere: Grocery stores, Target, The Disney Store, Walmart and the list can go on and on. Every time I find myself in one of those stores, I grab a $25 or $50 card and activate it. Now my Disney money is locked up and I can't spend it on stupid things. Before you know it, you will have quite a collection of cards! You can even save money on these by going to a Costco type store where they are slightly discounted.

Ok, this sounds great and all, but now I have a giant stack of $25 gift cards that are going to be super hard to manage and annoying to carry around once I'm on vacation. Good thing I've got a few solutions for you!

Your first option is to take them to guest services as soon as you arrive and have them combined into one card or a few if you plan on handing them out to everyone in your party. Your other option is to add them to your room so when you are charging your dinners and merchandise to your Magic Band or room key, they will automagically (see what I did there?!) be deducted and your actual credit card won't be charged until the gift cards are depleted. This option is nice because then you don't have to worry about carrying them around the parks. If you ever want to know how much you have left, you can always go to your hotel and ask to see your bill. It will tell you how much credit you have left before it will start charging your credit card.

Hopefully that helps make the expense of a family Disney trip a little easier to handle. I guess I should take my own advice and get to the grocery store to pick up a few gift cards considering my trip is next month and then again in 3 months!

DisneyBound

Warning: This is an extremely Disney Nerd post - proceed with caution.

For a few years now, I've seen these Disney inspired outfits on Pinterest where they modeled an everyday outfit after a Disney character. But it wasn't until last week, that my friend told me it's a real thing. People take these outfits that they create on sites like Polyvore and wear them to the parks; it's called DisneyBounding, and apparently it's pretty huge. In fact, there is a whole tumblr account dedicated to it. 

Since I have a few trips coming up, I figure why not give it a try and see if it's really all that it's cracked up to be. After all, I already subconsciously dress in Disney themes while I'm there, so this is the same thing just with a little more planning involved, right?

What I like about this is it allows me to show my Disney side without sacrificing fashion by looking like a tourist. So off to Polyvore I went to create a few looks that I'm going to give a try. 

I already own most of this outfit (shocking, I know). The goal is to actually be able to recreate these looks without going broke from having to buy tons of new outfits. The ears, bracelets, jeans and purse I already own, so I just need to get some yellow shoes and a good Minnie Mouse polka dot top to sport this look.

This Ariel outfit is probably my favorite. So much so that I would probably wear this to work. The belt, shoes, bow and dress (similar) I already own. I just need to get some fun seashell jewelry and a purple cardigan and I'll be all set! 

Nautical is so in right now so I thought I'd give Donald Duck a try. This one I don't have much for, but I think I could do it on the cheap. I just need to get a good sailor dress, some nautical earrings and reuse the yellow shoes from the Minnie outfit.

So hopefully you are still reading and aren't judging too hard right now, but I totally understand if you are. I know this isn't for everyone, but I just wanted to let my Disney nerd side out. These DisneyBound outfits give me something different to plan for and do while on my trips. Stay tuned for them in action!

DIY Disney Painted Toms

I've seen custom painted Disney Toms floating around on Etsy for a few years now and it wasn't until I saw Dixie Delights post on how to do them yourself, that I decided to take a stab at them. After all, I draw Mickey and Minnie heads during meetings everyday, why can't I custom paint my own Toms?

To be clear, I didn't have the guts to paint a fresh new pair of Toms; what if they turned out horrible?! I couldn't stand the thought of ruining a $50 pair of shoes. So off to Walmart I went to buy some bo bo shoes. They only cost $9 and Target wanted $20 for their fake Toms, um no thanks!

What you'll need:

Toms or look alike Toms

Paint brushes - variety of sizes

Fabric craft paint - I didn't end up using the yellow and red glitter

Pencil

Pattern/stencil if you are not going to draw freehand

Black Sharpie

Mod Podge (not pictured)

Once I had decided on how I wanted them to look, I went ahead and sketched out the images I wanted. If you don't trust yourself to draw, then print and cut out the silhouettes so you can trace them.

Using a fine tipped paint brush, I outlined the edges in the black paint and then used a larger brush to fill in the ears. I did the same thing for the red. Once dry, I went over everything again to make sure I had it all nice and even.

Next, I used a fine tipped brush again to do Mickey's white buttons and Minnie's bow dots. Once everything was mostly dry, I went over the edges with a black Sharpie to clean up the lines a bit

All that's left is to cover your seal your image with Mod Podge. I used the dishwasher Mod Podge that I had from another craft and decided it would probably be best because it is water soluble and if you've been to Disney, you know it rains almost everyday in Florida. This way they will be protected.

I did not have high expectations for the finished product (hence me buying fake Toms) but am really happy with how they turned out! An hour later, it was the best $17 I've spent in a long time.

Disney Dining Tip and Tricks

It's been forever since I've written about Disney, so I thought I would take the time to share with you some tips and tricks for eating in Walt Disney World. One of the main reasons for not writing about the parks in so long is because they have changed so much. Not necessarily in attractions, but with the infrastructure. Ever since Magic Bands came into play, things have not been the same.

The Magic Bands was a billion dollar project that links everything to one RFID chip in a bracelet (looks like a Fit Bit) that you wear. It acts as your room key, credit card, park pass and fast pass that is managed via a smartphone app. I can talk more about this in detail another time, but my reason for bringing it up is because now every guest has the opportunity to plan every moment of their trip, which leaves the seasoned veterans to be forced to plan it out as well when they wouldn't have otherwise.

A lot of things about the new system are positive, just be prepared and plan your trip months in advance. If you have never been before, then this will be easy. But if your like my family who is known for going to Disney on a whim, this can be frustrating as restaurants book up six months out!

Disney dining holds a special place in my heart since I used to work at one of the restaurants on property. I remember seeing overwhelmed, frustrated and confused parents who just want an air conditioned place to sit and eat a real meal. It always broke my heart when I had to tell them that there was no availability. So in an attempt to make sure everyone gets the most out of their trips, here are a few tips to help make your dining experience a little easier.

Plan ahead: For our trip in December we will have 8 people in our group, so planning is key. Dining reservations open up 180 days out, but if you are staying on Disney property, you can book all your dining reservations for up to 10 days past your check-in date. For example, my trip starts December 6th, so on June 6th I was able to make my whole week's worth of dining reservations at one time, instead of calling back every day to book one day at a time.

Be persistent: If there is no availability for s specific restaurant, then check back daily. It seems like a daunting task, but it has paid off for me on numerous occasions. People are making reservations and canceling them constantly so don't feel discouraged if at 180 days out, you didn't get all the reservations you wanted. You have plenty of time for things to open up. Just make it part of your daily routine to check the Disney Dining webpage.

Be organized: When booking your meals in the parks, I find it best to use your reservations as a baseline for what park to visit each day. For example, If I have a dinner reservation in Epcot, then I will plan on watching the Fireworks in Epcot that night. You don't have to be strict with this, but it serves as a great baseline for when your planning your trip.

Share the details: One of the best things Disney does is accommodate. Be sure to tell them any and all allergies. Even if you think you know what to order and what foods to stay away from on a buffet, you probably don't know all the ingredients. If you have an allergy, the head chef of the restaurant will come out and tell you what you can and cannot eat. In some instances they will put together a special plate just for you. This is all done at no cost and is an excellent example of their legendary customer service. If you have any type of celebration like a birthday or anniversary, make sure you tell them when you book your reservation. Not all the time, but sometimes they might give you a special little treat to help you celebrate.


To be honest, I could go on and on, but this is already getting long so I think I will end it here. If you have any particular questions you would like me to address, I would be happy to write a post about it! Sometimes it's hard to get all the information from my head down on paper, so I figure it's best to take it small bits at a time.

Tips for Bringing Your Baby to Disney

Most people will think I'm crazy for having even considered taking a newborn to Disney World, but I just couldn't stay away!

Many people plan their big family vacations a year or more in advance and might not even be expecting a little one, but by the time their trip comes around, they might have an infant. Whether that's the case, or you just want to share the magic with your little one early, here are some tips to help make your trip go a little smoother.

Tip #1: Be Flexible

If this is your first trip to Disney, being flexible might not be very easy, but in the long run it will pay off. A Disney trip can be stressful for everyone, so be ready to change plans at the drop of a hat. Don't get me wrong, you can still plan out your day, but don't plan every minute. When you have an infant, just like a toddler, a meltdown can happen at any time. The more willing you are to leave a park or sit out a ride, the more enjoyable the trip. 

Tip #2: Use the Baby Care Centers

Disney provides a baby care center at every park for your family. USE IT! It is a dedicated building with the amenities every parent with a small child will find useful. There are private nursing rooms, a changing room with multiple changing tables, a kitchen and a room to feed your baby while keeping your other children entertained with a movie. They even sell common necessities you might have forgotten such as food, diapers and wipes. Even after you've taken care of business, they are a great place to relax and recharge without even leaving the park!

Tip #3: Ride Rides

Many moms think they have to sacrifice having fun so they can take care of the baby or other small children who can't ride the rides. Don't be a martyr! Disney doesn't always advertise this, but every cast member knows about it; it's called Rider Swap. Here's how it works: one adult waits with the small children while everyone else rides the ride. The person who was waiting then gets to bypass the regular and ride the ride with up to two other members from your party because who wants to ride a ride all alone? Now you have no excuse for not getting to ride the attractions!

Tip #4: Baby Transportation

Most likely, you will be bringing your own stroller to Disney especially if you have a baby who still is in a carrier. I suggest bringing a small stroller such as a snap-n-go. The simpler and more lightweight it is, the better. Remember, you will getting on and off buses and will want something that is easy to break down with little bulk. I also suggest you bring a baby wearing device such as a Moby wrap or Baby Bjorn. These are great when Disney forces you to leave your stroller outside but still want your little one to experience the attraction. In fact, the small attractions with slow moving rides will allow you to bring your baby. After all, you paid all this money to go, you might as well let your infant experience some of the fun with you!