Our Disney 2021 Trip

I have visited Disney World at least a dozen times in my life, starting even way back as a baby in my mom’s womb (yes, that’s right, my mom worked for the mouse when she was pregnant with me!). I’m not obsessed with Disney but I do enjoy visiting there, some part nostalgia and some part fun family vacation.

This year I celebrated my 39th birthday at the Happiest Place on Earth!

I’d love to share with you some behind-the-scenes info on our trip since everyone does Disney a little different. Maybe you can use a tip or two of ours if you’re planning your own trip.

The Details

The most important advice for a Disney vacation is planning, especially if you want to maximize your experience. Here’s a brief list of how we planned:

• When grandparents asked for gift ideas, we requested Disney gift cards! With five birthdays and Christmas, this was a great strategy for saving up. Did you know you can save $5 on Disney gift cards buying with the Target Red Card!
• I read quite a few posts on DisneyTouristBlog.com that helped me map out which rides to ride in which order as well as the best snacks and treats for the parks we planned to visit (Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios). They have really helpful advice on how to actually make it into the virtual cue for the new Galaxy’s Edge Rise of the Resistance ride (which I’m happy to report we did!!). I also chatted with one of my besties who was an annual pass holder–she’d been numerous times and had the best tips!
• I booked a double stroller through Kingdom Strollers, one of numerous stroller rental companies in the Orlando area. We borrowed (shout out to the SC Assistive Technology Program) an adaptable stroller for our 10 year old whose special needs would make it nearly impossible for him to walk the 18000+ steps we took on each day at Disney. And I knew it’d be a stretch for our 8 and 5 year old to manage all that walking, too. Best part of Kingdom Strollers is that they delivered and picked-up the rental directly from the lobby of our hotel!
• Two years ago when we last visited Disney, I was not overly impressed with the meals from the counter-service food available (though I have heard the sit-down restaurants are top notch!), mostly because of the expense. I was excited to learn that Disney allows guests to bring in their own food. So, we set a $100/day in-park budget for snacks and treats, and supplemented with food of our own:
  • Uncrustables
  • Slim Jim beef jerky sticks (should have brought way more of these as everyone gobbled them up and wanted more)
  • Chips
  • Everything bagels + cream cheese
  • Apple slices + peanut butter (probably should have packed more of these, too)
  • Baby carrots
  • Grapes
  • Nuts
• Some of our favorite in-park treats included Simba’s Sunset Dole Whip, Fruit Tart’s (think homemade pop-tarts) from Woody’s Lunchbox, Mickey Mouse ice cream bars + popsicles, mac-n-cheese topped with bbq from Flame Tree BBQ, and totchos (think nachos made with tater tots) from Woody’s Lunchbox. I also made it a point to order whatever fancy lemonade or other drink concoction each place had–I was not disappointed! Did you know you can order a cup of free ice water from any counter service restaurant at Disney?
• Other items I packed in my Ambry bag: bandaids, sunglasses, hand wipes, sunscreen, and rain ponchos (which came in handy because it rained one afternoon of our visit). Others have also recommended cooling towels, which as the summer heats up in Florida, makes a lot of sense.
• The Disability Access Pass service for those with disabilities is phenomenal. If someone in your group has a disability, I strongly encourage you to visit Guest Services at any of the parks to discuss your needs with a cast member. They are knowledgeable, helpful, and so very kind.
• I’ve barely uncovered the most basic parts of how we planned and experienced Disney, and if you’re uber into research and planning like me, you might find a group like Smart Moms Plan Disney (which I discovered after our trip thanks to the FB algorithm lol!) helpful!

Leaving Hollywood Studios as we wrapped up our time at Disney!